CHRISTIAN  HEALING 

FILLMORE 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 


Mrs.  E.  F.   DucoroiTnin 


^ 


THE 

SCIENCE   OF   BEING 

AND 

CHRISTIAN    HEALING 

TWELVE    LESSONS 

BY 

CHARLES    FILLMORE 


THIRD    EDITION    REVISED 


UNITY    TRACT   SOCIETY, 

Unity  Building,  913-917  Tracy  Avenue, 

Kansas  City,  Mo. 

1912 


PREFACE 

These  are  not  simply  lectures,  but  lessons 
to  be  applied  as  one  applies  mathematical 
rules — not  to  be  merely  read,  but  studied. 
When  a  suggestion  is  made  to  "hold  a 
thought,"  or  affirm  or  deny  a  certain  prop- 
osition, the  student  should  stop  reading 
and,  both  audibly  and  mentally,  do  as  bid. 
This  will  set  up  new  thought-currents  in 
mind  and  body,  and  make  way  for  the 
spiritual  illumination  which  will  follow  in 
all  who  are  faithful. 

The  Statements  following  each  lesson 
should  be  used  for  mental  discipline. 
Write  these  Statements  down,  and  apply 
them  daily  while  studying  the  lesson  to 
which  they  correspond.  Any  one  can  do 
mind  healing  who  will  use  the  simple  rules 
of  denials  and  affirmations  here  set  forth. 
If  you  wish  to  heal  another,  hold  him  in 
mind  and  mentally  repeat  the  denials  and 
affirmations,  which  will  raise  the  con- 
sciousness to  Spiritual  Reality,  where  all 
healing  power  originates.  If  you  wish  to 
heal  yourself,  talk  to  your  mentality  and 
body  as  you  Avould  to  a  patient. 


1 


LESSON    ONE 


THE    TRUE    CHARACTER   OF    BEING 

[HERE  is  a  spirit  in  man:  and  the  inspiration 
of  the  Ahnighty  giveth  him  understanding." 
The  Science  which  is  here  set  forth  is  founded 
upon  Spirit,  but  it  is  none  the  less  scientific  because  it 
does  not  conform  to  intellectual  standards.  The  facts 
of  Spirit  are  of  a  spiritual  character,  and,  when  under- 
stood in  their  right  relation,  are  orderly,  which  is  the 
test  of  true  science. 

The  lawful  truths  of  Spirit  are  more  scientific  than 
the  constantly  shifting  intellectual  standards.  The  only 
real  science  is  the  Science  of  Spirit.  It  never  changes. 
It  is  universally  accepted  by  all  who  are  in  the  Spirit, 
but  it  is  necessary  to  be  "in  the  Spirit"  before  it  can  be 
understood.  The  mind  of  the  Spirit  must  become  active 
in  those  who  would  grasp  the  orderly  Science  of  Being 
which  these  Lessons  proclaim. 

It  is  not  absolutely  necessary  that  the  spiritual  part 
of  man's  nature  be  active  in  the  beginning  of  his  study 
of  this  science:  the  primal  object  of  the  lessons  is  to 
quicken  this  realm  of  consciousness,  and  bring  about  the 
"inspiration  of  the  Almighty"  that  gives  understanding. 
So  let  it  be  understood  that  we  are  teaching  the 


6  Lesson  One 

Science  of  Spirit,  and  that  those  who  are  receptive  will 
be  inspired  to  spiritual  consciousness.  This  is  not  a  diffi- 
cult matter,  this  inspiration  of  the  Spirit  spoken  of  in 
Job.  We  are  all  inspired  by  the  Spirit  in  certain  states 
of  consciousness.  The  understanding  of  the  laws  govern- 
ing the  realm  of  Spirit  will  make  it  possible  to  attain  this 
consciousness  and  receive  this  inspiration,  whenever  the 
requirements  are  met. 

The  starting  point  in  this  realization  is  a  right  un- 
derstanding of  that  One  designated  as  the  Almighty. 
It  is  strictly  logical  and  scientific  to  assume  that  man 
comes  forth  from  this  One,  who  is  named  variously,  but 
who  all  agree  is  the  origin  of  everything.  Since  man  is 
the  offspring  of  the  Almighty  he  must  have  the  character 
of  his  Parent.  If  the  earthly  child  resembles  its  parents, 
how  much  more  so  should  the  heavenly  child.  This 
truth  does  away  with  the  oft-proclaimed  presumption 
that  it  is  impossible  for  the  finite  to  understand  the  Infi- 
nite. God  must  be  in  his  universe  as  an  everywhere-intel- 
ligent power,  or  it  would  fall  to  pieces.  God  is  in  the 
universe  as  its  constant  inspiration ;  hence,  it  is  only  nec- 
essary to  find  the  point  of  contact  in  order  to  understand 
that  One  in  whom  we  all  "live,  move,  and  have  our  being." 

Logic  is  a  fundamental  constituent  of  man's  being, 
and  all  minds  acquiesce  in  statements  of  logical  sequence. 
We  all  see  the  relation  and  unity  of  cause  and  effect, 
mentally  stated,  but  because  the  realm  of  forms  does  not 
carry  out  our  premise,  we  fall  away  from  the  true  stand- 
ards and  try  to  convince  ourselves  that  our  logic  is  some- 


The  True  Character  of  Being  7 

how  defective.  The  one  important  thing  the  student  of 
spiritual  science  must  learn  is  to  trust  the  logic  of  the 
mind.  If  appearances  are  out  of  harmony  with  your 
mental  premise,  do  not  let  them  unseat  your  logic. 
"Judge  not  according  to  the  appearance,  but  judge 
righteous  judgment."  You  would  not  take  the  mixed 
figures  of  a  child  working  a  problem  in  mathematics  as 
an  example  of  the  trueness  of  the  principle;  nor  could  you 
detect  the  error  in  the  problem  unless  you  were  some- 
what familiar  with  the  rules  of  mathematics.  Mental 
propositions  are  the  standards  and  governing  principles 
in  all  the  sciences  used  by  man.  In  the  science  of  crea- 
tion the  same  rule  holds  good.  You  may  rest  in  the  as- 
surance that  the  principles  which  you  mentally  perceive 
as  true  of  God  are  inviolate,  and  if  there  seems  to  be 
error  in  this  outworking  it  is  because  of  some  misap- 
plication on  the  part  of  the  demonstrator.  By  holding 
to  the  principle,  and  insisting  upon  its  accuracy,  you 
open  the  way  to  a  fuller  understanding  of  it,  and  to 
the  cause  of  the  errors  in  the  demonstration. 

Then,  if  you  have  been  in  confusion  mentally  in  the 
contemplation  of  a  good  God  and  an  evil  world,  and 
have  in  consequence  gotten  into  skeptical  ways,  the 
only  true  remedy  is  to  stand  by  the  pure  reason  of  your 
spiritual  perception  and  let  it  clear  up  the  proposition 
for  you.  Dismiss  all  prejudices  based  upon  the  mixed 
perception,  and  make  your  mind  receptive  to  the  clearer 
understanding,  which  will  surely  appear  when  you  have 


8  Lesson  One 

taken  sides  with  the  Spirit,  and  looked  to  it  alone  for 
the  outworking  of  the  problem. 

This  is  not  blind  belief,  but  an  acquiescence  in  the 
logic  of  the  superconsciousness  of  your  own  being,  which 
is  the  only  sure  guide  in  the  mazes  of  creative  processes. 
It  is  through  trusting  this  superconscious  mind  that  man 
opens  himself  to  the  inspiration  of  the  Almighty.  Spirit- 
uality may  be  cultivated,  and  the  deep  things  of  God  re- 
vealed to  any  one  who  will  mentally  proclaim  and  af- 
firm the  logical  perception  of  the  goodness  and  truth 
of  Being. 

The  central  proposition  in  the  inspiration  of  the 
Spirit  is  that  God,  or  Primal  Cause,  is  good.  It  does 
not  make  any  great  difference  what  you  name  this  Pri- 
mal Cause;  the  important  consideration  is  a  right  con- 
cept of  its  character.  The  Hindoo  calls  it  Brahm,  a  be- 
ing of  such  stupendous  proportions  that  man  shrinks 
into  nothingness  in  contemplating  him.  Although  this 
greatness  of  Being  is  true,  there  is  also  another  point  of 
view — the  smallness  of  that  same  Spirit,  as  evidenced 
in  the  presence  of  its  life  in  the  most  insignificant  crea- 
tions. So,  in  order  to  get  at  the  very  heart  of  Being, 
it  is  necessary  to  realize  that  it  is  manifesting  in  the 
least  as  well  as  in  the  greatest,  and  that  in  the  bringing 
forth  of  a  universe  not  one  idea  could  be  taken  away 
without  unbalancing  the  whole.  This  brings  us  to  a 
fuller  realization  of  our  importance  in  the  universe,  and 
the  necessity  of  finding  our  right  place.     It  also  puts  us 


The  True  Character  of  Being  9 

in  very  close  touch  with  the  Father  of  all,  the  One  Omni- 
present Intelligence  pervading  everything. 

The  Father  within  you,  so  lovingly  and  familiarly 
revealed  by  Jesus,  is  not  far  away  in  a  place  called 
"heaven,"  but  his  abode  is  in  the  spiritual  realms  which 
underlie  all  creative  forces.  As  Jesus  realized  and 
taught,  "The  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you."  On  the 
invisible  side  of  man's  nature  is  the  abode  of  the  Spirit, 
which  is  the  seat  of  power. 

This  revelation  of  God  immanent  in  the  universe 
was  clearly  set  forth  by  Paul:  "In  you  all,  through  you 
all,  and  above  you  all."  The  inspired  ministers  of  to-day 
are    proclaiming   the    same.      Rev.    Dr.    Lyman    Abbott 

once  said: 

"The  conception  of  God  as  a  first  great  cause,  who  ages 
ago  set  in  motion  certain  secondary  causes  which  control  the 
world,  and  with  which  he  interferes  from  time  to  time  as  ex- 
igency may  require,  is  giving  place  to  a  conception  of  one 
great,  eternal,  underlying  cause,  as  truly  operative  to-day  as 
he  was  in  the  days  of  old.  This  energy  is  an  intelligent  energy. 
The  relations  of  the  physical  world  are  intellectual  relations. 
Science  does  not  create,  it  discovers  them.  Science  thinks  the 
thoughts  of  God  after  him. 

"While  science  has  thus  been  leading  us  to  see  God  in 
physical  nature,  philosophy  has  been  leading  us  to  see  God  in 
all  the  events  of  history.  The  doctrine  of  evolution,  which  is 
not  the  same  as  Darwinism,  is  the  doctrine  that  the  world's 
progress  is  from  a  lower  to  a  higher  stage,  from  a  simplex  to 
a  more  complex  condition.  Thus  history  is  no  longer  the  mere 
record  of  great  events,  or  the  story  of  great  lives;  it  is  the 
philosophical  xmfolding  of  a  great  development,  the  end  and 
issue  of  which  is  the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth. 


10  Lesson  One 

"But  has  this  God  any  relation  to  the  individual,  so  that 
we  can  have  some  consciousness  of  him  and  some  connection 
with  him?  Or  is  there  an  invisible  curtain  between  the  soul 
and  this  power  in  nature — this  righteous  direction  of  history: 
Literature  is  the  interpreter  of  life,  and  to  literature  we  turn 
for  an  answer  to  this  question.  And  this  answer  is  given  to  us 
by  the  great  poets,  and  by  no  one  more  clearly  and  beautifully 
than  by  Tennyson: 

"'Speak  to  him,  thou,  for  he  hears,  and  spirit  with  spirit  can 
meet; 
Closer  is  he  than  breathing,  and  nearer  than  hands  or  feet.' 

"The  notion  of  a  humanized  God  sitting  in  the  center  of 
the  universe  ruling  things,  is  gone,  and  in  the  place  of  this 
science  has  brought  us  back  to  this:  'We  are  ever  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Infinite;'  and  history  has  brought  us  back  to  this: 
'There  is  a  power  not  ourselves  that  makes  for  righteousness'; 
and  literature  has  brought  us  back  to  this:  'Spirit  with  spirit 
can  meet.  Closer  is  he  than  breathing,  nearer  than  hands  or 
feet'  Would  you  think  the  personality  was  gone  because  it 
was  operative  before  your  eyes? 

"What  we  mean  by  personality  is  this:  the  infinite  and 
eternal  energy,  from  which  all  things  proceed,  is  an  energy 
that  thinks;  that  feels;  that  proposes  and  does,  and  is  think- 
ing and  feeling  and  proposing  and  doing  as  a  conscious  life, 
of  which  ours  is  only  a  poor  and  broken  reflection.  Too  long, 
I  think,  we  have  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  cross  or  at  the  door 
of  the  tomb  and  not  seen  the  stone  rolled  away,  and  the  trium- 
phant Saviour  emerging.  Too  long  have  we  thought  of  the 
life  of  Christ  ending  with  passion  and  death.  But  the  greater 
part  of  his  life  is  his  post-resurrection  life." 

This  fuller  understanding  of  the  very  near  presence 
of  the  creating  and  sustaining  power  of  the  universe,  in- 
cluding man,  has  awakened  a  great  inquiry  into  the 
character  of  this  all-pervading  One,  and  on  every  hand 


The  True  Character  of  Being  11 

men  are  earnestly  seeking  to  know  about,  and  come  into 
harmonious  relations  with  him.  Some  are  succeeding, 
while  others  seem  to  make  but  little  progress.  The  di- 
versity of  results  obtained  is  caused  by  the  various  ways 
of  approaching  the  One  Mind,  for  such  God  is.  Mind 
is  the  key  to  the  whole  situation,  and  when  man  clearly 
discerns  the  Science  of  Mind,  he  will  solve  easily  all  the 
mysteries  of  creation. 

The  dictionary  definitions  of  mind  and  spirit  are 
almost  identical,  and  with  this  analogy  we  much  more 
easily  get  in  touch  with  God.  If  spirit  and  mind  are 
synonymous,  we  readily  perceive  that  there  is  no  great 
mystery  about  spiritual  things,  nor  are  they  far  removed 
from  our  daily  thoughts  and  experiences.  "Ye  are  the 
temple  of  God,  and  his  spirit  dwelleth  in  you,"  simply 
means  that  God  dwells  in  us  as  our  minds  dwell  in  our 
bodies.  Thus  we  see  that  God  creates  and  moves  crea- 
tion, through  the  power  of  mind,  whose  vehicles  are 
thoughts.  It  is  through  our  minds  that  we  shall  find 
God  and  do  his  will. 

There  are  mental  laws  which  are  being  discovered, 
or  observed  and  tabulated,  by  investigators  as  never  be- 
fore in  the  world's  history.  Man  is  comprehensive 
enough  to  see  the  various  factors  entering  into  creative 
processes  of  mind,  and  he  is,  through  the  study  of  mental 
laws,  perceiving  and  accepting  the  science  in  ideas, 
thoughts  and  words.  But  the  investigators  of  Nature 
and  her  laws  from  the  intellectual  and  physical  view- 
point fall  short  of  complete  understanding,  because  they 


12  Lesson  One 

fail  to  trace  back  to  the  Causing  Mind  the  multitudinous 
symbols  which  make  up  the  visible  universe.  The  mate- 
rial forms  that  we  see  about  us  are  the  chalk  marks  of  a 
mighty  problem  being  outworked  by  the  One  Mind.  To 
comprehend  that  problem,  and  catch  a  slight  glimpse  of 
its  meaning,  we  must  grasp  the  ideas  which  the  chalk 
marks  represent.  This  is  what  we  mean  by  studying 
Mind  back  of  Nature.  Man  is  mind  and  he  is  capable 
of  comprehending  the  plan  and  detailed  ideas  of  the  Su- 
preme Mind. 

Divine  Ideas  are  man's  Inheritance — ideas  pregnant 
with  all  possibility,  because  ideas  are  the  foundation  and 
cause  of  all  that  man  desires. 

With  this  understanding  as  a  foundation,  we  easily 
perceive  how  "all  mine  are  thine."  All  the  ideas  con- 
tained in  the  One  Father  Mind  are  at  the  mental  com- 
mand of  every  offspring.  Get  behind  the  thing  into 
the  mental  realm  where  it  exists  as  an  inexhaustible 
idea,  and  you  can  draw  upon  it  perpetually  and  never 
deplete  the  source. 

With  this  understanding  of  the  potentiality  of  Pri- 
mal Cause,  we  find  it  a  simple  matter  to  work  the 
problem  of  life — the  key  to  the  situation  being  ideas. 
Thus  life  in  expression  is  activity;  in  Being  it  is  an  idea 
of  activity.  To  make  life  appear  on  the  visible  plane, 
we  have  but  to  open  our  minds  and  thoughts  to  the  Di- 
vine Idea  of  life  and  activity,  and  lo !  all  visibility  is  obe- 
dient to  us.  It  is  through  this  understanding,  and  its 
cultivation  in  various   degrees,  that  men  have  acquired 


The  True  Character  of  Being  18 

the  ability  to  raise  dead  bodies.  Jesus  understood  this 
Realm  of  Supreme  Ideas,  or,  as  he  termed  it,  "the  king- 
dom of  God  within,"  or  amongst  you,  and  when  he 
raised  Lazarus  he  invoked  its  power.  When  Martha 
talked  about  a  future  resurrection,  he  said,  "I  am  the 
resurrection  and  the  life;  he  that  believeth  on  me,  though 
he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live."  One  who  identifies 
his  whole  mind  with  this  Omnipresent  Mind  becomes  so 
at-one  with  it  that  he  can  overcome  death. 

The  real  of  the  universe  is  held  in  the  Mind  of  Be- 
ing as  ideas  of  life,  love,  substance,  intelligence,  truth, 
etc.  These  ideas  may  be  combined  in  a  multitude  of 
ways,  and  produce  infinite  variety  in  the  realm  of  forms. 
There  is  a  right  combination,  which  constitutes  the  Di- 
vine Order,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  on  earth.  This  right 
relation  of  ideas,  and  the  science  of  right  thought,  will 
form  an  important  part  of  the  future  lessons  of  this 
course. 

The  student  in  the  Science  of  Being  should  start 
all  his  investigations  and  mental  processes  from  this 
One  Mind  foundation.  If  you  are  skeptical  about  the 
existence  of  God,  or  are  an  abstract  believer  without 
having  had  any  experience  or  conscious  mental  awaken- 
ing that  has  given  you  proof,  you  should  be  very  indus- 
trious in  prayer,  affirmation  and  invocation.  Remem- 
ber, God  is  not  a  king  who  can  force  his  presence  upon 
you  whether  you  will  or  not,  but  an  Omnipresent  Mind 
enfolding  and  interpenetrating  all  things. 

There  is  goodness  everlasting,  and  joy  beyond  ex- 


14  Lesson  One 

pression  in  a  perfect  union  between  your  mind  and  this 
Perfect  Mind.  The  point  of  contact  is  a  willingness  on 
your  part  and  a  seeking.  "Seek  and  ye  shall  find; 
knock  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you." 

The  question  naturally  presents  itself,  if  we  are 
offsprings  of  this  Divine  Mind,  why  are  we  not  natural- 
ly conscious  of  its  presence?  The  answer  to  this  is  that 
we  have  used  the  privilege  of  our  inheritance — the  power 
to  make  ideas  visible  as  things — and  created  a  realm  that 
separates  us  in  consciousness  from  the  Father  Mind. 
This  is  the  teaching  of  Jesus  in  the  parable  of  the  prod- 
igal son.  When  we  are  weary  of  the  sense  conscious- 
ness, we  have  only  to  turn  our  face  (intelligence)  toward 
the  parent's  house  and  there  meet  a  loving  welcome. 

The  understanding  that  God  is  not  in  a  distant 
heaven,  nor  located  in  any  way  geographically,  gives 
us  a  feeling  of  nearness  and  unity  with  the  parent  mind. 
This  inter-communion  of  the  man  consciousness  with  the 
Omnipresent  Spiritual  Force  of  the  universe,  was  beau- 
tifully exemplified  by  Jesus.  God  was  closer  to  him 
than  hands  or  feet.  He  referred  all  things  to  this  lov- 
ing Father,  who  was  in  constant  communion  and  co- 
operation with  the  Son.  Yet  there  was,  even  in  his  case, 
this  independent  personal  consciousness  that  beset  him 
when  he  sought  to  be  free  from  mortal  limitations.  So 
we  should  not  be  discouraged  or  cast  down  if  we  do  not 
quickly  find  the  kingdom  of  God  within  us.  Jesus  spent 
whole  nights  in  prayer;  we  should  not  be  weary  with  a 
few  moments  each  day.    A  daily  half-hour  of  meditation 


The  True  CharxVcter  of  Beino  15 

will  open  up  the  mind  to  a  consciousness  of  the  Inner 
One,  and  reveal  manj'  things  that  are  hidden  from  the 
natural  man. 

The  fact  is,  Truth  cannot  be  imparted — it  must 
be  individually  experienced.  The  presence  of  the  Di- 
vine Mind  in  the  soul  cannot  be  told  in  words;  it  can  be 
hinted  at  and  referred  to  in  parable,  and  likened  unto 
this  and  unto  that,  but  never  described  as  it  is.  This 
ability  of  the  individual  mind  to  combine  the  ideas  of 
Divine  Mind  in  consciousness  of  its  own,  makes  each  of 
us  the  "only  begotten  son,"  a  particular  and  special  crea- 
tion. No  two  individuals  in  all  the  universe  are  exactly 
alike,  because  there  is  always  diversity  in  the  ideas  ap- 
propriated from  Divine  Mind. 

The  truth  is,  then,  that  God  is  Principle,  Law, 
Being,  Mind,  Spirit,  All-Good,  Omnipotent,  Omniscient, 
Omnipresent,  Unchangeable,  Creator,  Father,  Cause  and 
Source  of  all  that  is. 

That  God  is  individually  formed  in  consciousness  in 
each  of  us,  and  is  known  to  us  as  "Father,"  when  we 
recognize  him  within  us  as  our  Creator,  as  our  mind,  as 
our  life,  as  our  very  being. 

That  Mind  has  Ideas;  Ideas  have  Expression.  All 
manifestation  in  our  world  is  the  result  of  the  ideas  we 
are  holding  in  mind  and  expressing. 

That  to  bring  forth  or  manifest  the  harmony  of  Di- 
vine Mind,  or  the  "kingdom  of  heaven,"  all  our  ideas 
must  be  one  with  Divine  Ideas,  and  must  be  expressed  in 
the  Divine  Order  of  that  Mind. 


16  Lesson  One 

STATEMENTS    FOR   THE    REALIZATION    OF    DIVINE 

MIND 

(To  be  used  in  connection  with  Lesson  One.) 

There  is  One  Presence,  One  Intelligence,  One  Sub- 
stance, One  Life,  the  Good  Omnipotent. 

God  is  the  name  of  the  Everywhere  Present  Prin- 
ciple, in  whom  I  live,  move,  and  have  my  being. 

God  is  the  name  of  My  Good. 

In  you  all  and  through  you  all,  and  above  you  all, 
God  Almighty. 

Thy  Name  is  Spirit.  I  know  Thee  as  the  One  All- 
Seeing  Mind. 

Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven — the  everywhere 
present  inner  harmony;  hallowed  by  thy  name — whole- 
ness manifests  thy  character. 

Thou  art  always  with  me  as  indwelling  Wisdom 
and  Love. 

Thy  Law  is  now  the  Standard  of  my  life  and  I  am 
at  Peace. 

I  in  Thee  and  Thou  in  me. 

Thou  art  never  absent  from  me — I  now  see  Thee 
face  to  face. 

I  think  Thy  thoughts  after  Thee. 

I  dwell  in  Thee  and  share  Thy  Omnipotence. 

In  Thee  is  my  Perfection. 


LESSON    TWO 


BEING'S    PERFECT   IDEA 

I  HE  foundation  of  our  Science  is  Spirit,  and  there 
must  be  a  Spiritual  Truth.  This  Spiritual 
Truth  is  God  thinking  out  creation.  God  is 
tlie  Original  Mind  in  which  all  identities  exist.  The  one 
Original  Mind  creates  by  thought.  This  is  stated  in  the 
first  chapter  of  John: 

"In  the  beginning  was  the  Word  {Logos — Thought- Word), 
and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God. 

"The  same  was  in  the  beginning  with  God. 

"All  things  were  made  by  him;  and  without  him  was  not 
any  thing  made  that  hath  been  made." 

Eadie's  Biblical  Cyclopaedia  says,  "The  term  Logos 
means  thought  expressed,  either  as  an  idea  in  mind  or  as 
vocal  speech." 

An  understanding  of  this  reveals  to  us  the  law  un- 
der which  all  things  are  brought  forth — the  law  of  Mind 
action.  All  creation  is  working  under  this  law,  and  God 
is  thinking  the  universe  into  manifestation  right  now. 
God  is  under  the  law  of  his  mind  action.  He  cannot 
create  without  law,  and  that  law  is  the  order  and  har- 
mony of  perfect  thought. 

God-Mind  expresses  its  thoughcs  so  perfectly  that 


18  Lesson  Two 

there  is  no  occasion  for  change,  hence  all  prayers  and 
supplications  for  the  change  of  God's  will  to  conform 
to  human  desires  are  futile.  God  does  not  change  his 
mind  nor  trim  his  thought  to  meet  the  conflicting 
opinions  of  mankind.  Understanding  the  perfection  of 
God-thoughts,  man  must  conform  to  them,  then  he  will 
discover  that  there  is  never  necessity  for  any  change  of 
the  will  of  God  in  human  affairs. 

A  key  to  God-Mind  is  with  every  one — it  is  the 
action  of  the  individual  mind.  Man  is  created  in  the 
"image  and  likeness"  of  God;  he  is  therefore  a  phase 
of  God-Mind,  and  his  mind  must  act  like  the  Original 
Mind.  Study  your  own  mind,  and  through  it  you  will 
find  God-Mind.  In  no  other  way  can  you  get  a  complete 
understanding  of  yourself,  the  universe  and  the  law  un- 
der which  it  is  being  brought  forth.  When  you  see  the 
Creator  thinking  out  his  universe  as  the  mathematician 
thinks  out  his  problem,  you  will  understand  the  necessity 
of  the  very  apparent  effort  that  nature  makes  to  ex- 
press itself.  You  will  also  understand  why  the  impulse 
within  your  soul  for  higher  things  keeps  welling  up. 
God-Mind  is  thinking  in  you,  and  pushing  your  mind  to 
grasp  true  ideas  and  carry  them  into  expression. 

It  is  therefore  true,  in  logic  and  inspiration,  that 
man  and  the  universe  are  within  the  God-Mind  as  living, 
acting  thoughts.  God-Mind  is  giving  itself  to  its  crea- 
tions, and  they  are  evolving  an  independence  that  has 
the  power  to  co-operate  with,  or  oppose  the  Original 
Will.     It  is  then  of  vital  importance  to  study  the  mind. 


Being^s  Perfect  Idea  19 

and  understand  its  laws,  because  the  starting  point  of 
every  form  in  the  universe  is  an  idea. 

Every  man  asks  the  question  some  time,  "What  am 
I?"  God-Understanding  answers,  "Spiritually,  you  are 
my  Idea  of  Myself  as  I  see  Myself  in  the  Ideal;  physic- 
ally, you  are  the  law  of  my  Mind  executing  that  Idea." 
''Great  is  the  mystery  of  goodliness,"  said  Paul.  A  lit- 
tle learning  is  a  dangerous  thing  in  the  study  of  Being. 
To  separate  one's  self  from  the  Whole,  and  attempt  to 
find  out  the  great  mystery,  is  like  dissecting  inanimate 
flesh  to  find  the  sources  of  life. 

If  you  would  know  the  mystery  of  Being,  see  your- 
self in  Being.  Know  yourself  as  an  integral  idea  in  the 
Divine  Mind,  and  all  other  ideas  will  recognize  you  as 
their  fellow-worker.  Throw  yourself  out  of  the  Holy 
Trinity,  and  you  become  an  on-looker.  Throw  yourself 
into  this  Trinity,  and  you  become  its  avenue  of  expres- 
sion. The  religious  know  this  Trinity  as  Father,  Son 
and  Holy  Spirit;  to  the  metaphysician  it  is  Mind,  Idea, 
Expression.  These  three  are  One.  Each  sees  itself  as 
including  the  other  two,  yet,  in  creation,  separate.  Jesus, 
the  type  man,  placed  himself  in  the  God-head,  and  said, 
"He  who  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father."  But  recog- 
nizing the  supremacy  of  the  Spiritual  Principle,  which 
he  was  demonstrating,  he  said,  "The  Father  is  greater 
than  I." 

Reducing  the  Trinity  to  simple  numbers  takes  away 
much  of  its  mystery.  When  we  say  there  is  one  Being 
with  three  attitudes  of  mind,  we  have  stated  in  plain 


20  Lesson  Two 

terms  all  that  is  involved  in  the  intricate  theological 
doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  The  priesthood  has  always 
found  it  profitable  to  make  complex  that  which  is  sim- 
ple. When  religion  becomes  an  industry  it  has  its 
trade  secrets,  and  they  seem  very  great  to  the  un- 
initiated. Modern  investigation  of  the  character  and 
constituency  of  the  mind  is  taking  away  all  the  mystery 
of  Egyptian,  Hindoo,  Hebrew,  and  the  many  other  re- 
ligious and  mystical  systems  of  the  past.  They  are  at- 
tempting to  perpetuate  their  so-called  secret  knowledge 
in  the  occult  societies  springing  up  on  every  side  in  our 
day,  but  with  indifferent  success.  The  modern  Truth- 
seeker  takes  very  little  on  trust.  Unless  the  claimant  to 
occult  lore  can  demonstrate  his  power  in  the  world  of  af- 
fairs, people  are  suspicious  of  him.  Religious  awe  for 
the  priesthood,  which  is  so  prevalent  in  Oriental  coun- 
tries, is  lacking  in  the  majority  of  Western  people.  In 
India,  a  yellow-robed  holy  man  is  regarded  with  rev- 
erence by  both  adults  and  children,  while  in  this  country, 
adults  stare,  and  small  boys  throw  rocks,  until  he  seeks 
the  protection  of  the  police.  This  seems  irreverent, 
almost  heathenish,  yet  it  is  the  expression  of  an  innate 
repudiation  of  everything  that  seeks  to  establish  itself 
on  any  other  foundation  than  that  of  practical  demon- 
stration. 

The  Mind  of  God  is  Spirit,  Soul,  Body;  that  is. 
Mind,  Idea,  Expression,  so  the  mind  of  man  is  spirit, 
soul,  body — not  separate  from  the  God-Mind,  but  exist- 
ing in  it,  and  making  it  manifest  in  an  identity  peculiar 


Being's  Perfect  Idea  21 

to  itself.  Every  man  is  building  into  his  consciousness 
the  three  departments  of  the  God-Mind,  and  his  success 
in  the  process  is  evidenced  by  the  harmony  in  his  con- 
sciousness of  Spirit,  soul  and  body.  If  he  is  all  body, 
he  is  but  one-third  expressed.  If  to  body  he  has  added 
soul,  he  is  two-thirds  man,  and  if  to  these  two  he  is  add- 
ing Spirit,  he  is  on  the  way  to  perfect  manhood  as  de- 
signed by  God.  Man  has  neither  spirit,  soul  nor  body 
of  his  own — he  has  identity  only.  He  can  say,  "I."  He 
uses  God-Spirit,  God-Soul  and  God-Body  as  his  "I" 
elects.  If  he  uses  them  with  the  idea  that  they  belong  to 
him,  he  develops  selfishness,  which  limits  his  capacity 
and  dwarfs  his  product. 

In  his  right  relation  man  is  the  inlet  and  outlet  of 
an  everywhere-present  life,  substance  and  intelligence. 
When  his  "I"  recognizes  this  fact,  and  adjusts  itself  to 
these  invisible  expressions  of  the  One  Mind,  man's  mind 
becomes  harmonious,  his  life  vigorous  and  perpetual,  and 
his  body  healthy.  It  is  imperative  that  the  individual  un- 
derstand this  relation  in  order  to  grow  naturally.  It 
must  not  only  be  understood  as  an  abstract  proposition, 
but  it  is  necessary  to  consciously  blend  our  life  with  God- 
Life,  our  intelligence  with  God-Intelligence,  and  our 
body  with  God-Body.  Conscious  identification  must  pre- 
vail in  the  whole  man  before  he  can  be  in  right  relation. 
This  involves  not  only  a  recognition  of  the  Universal 
Intelligence,  Life  and  Substance,  but  also  their  various 
combinations  in  man's  consciousness.  These  combina- 
tions are  dependent  for  their  perfect  expression  in  man's 


22  Lesson  Two 

world,  upon  his  recognition  of  and  loyalty  to  his  origin — 
God-Mind.  He  is  in  that  Mind  as  a  Perfect  Idea,  and 
that  Mind  is  constantly  trying  to  express  that  Perfect 
Idea,  or  Perfect  Man,  in  every  man,  for  it  is  the  real  and 
only  man. 

The  Perfect  Man-Idea  in  God-Mind  is  known  un- 
der various  names  in  the  many  religious  systems.  The 
Krishna  of  the  Hindoo  is  the  same  as  the  Christos  of  the 
Greeks  and  the  Messiah  of  the  Hebrews.  All  the  great 
religions  of  the  world  are  founded  upon  spiritual  science, 
but  not  all  of  the  science  is  understood  by  their  followers. 
The  Hebrews  had  been  told  again  and  again  by  the 
spiritually  wise  that  a  Messiah,  or  Christ-Man,  would 
be  born  in  their  midst,  but  when  he  came  they  did  not 
recognize  him,  because  of  their  lack  of  understanding. 
They  understood  the  letter  only  of  their  religion.  The 
same  is  true  today.  The  Christ-Man,  or  Perfect  Idea  of 
God-Mind,  is  now  being  expressed  and  demonstrated  by 
men  and  women  as  never  before  in  the  history  of  the  race, 
yet  those  who  claim  to  be  followers  of  the  true  religion 
are  putting  it  out  of  their  synagogues,  just  as  they  did 
Jesus  the  Christ.  The  ancient  Pharisees  asked  Jesus, 
"By  what  authority  doest  thou  these  things?"  And 
the  modern  Pharisees  are  repeating  the  same  question. 
The  substance  of  Jesus'  answer  was,  "By  their  fruits  ye 
shall  know  them."  (Read  Matthew  21:23-46). 

This  Perfect  Idea  of  God-Man  is  your  true  self, 
and  the  God-Mind  is,  under  the  law  of  thought,  con- 
stantly seeking  to  express  its  perfection  in  you.     It  is 


Being's  Perfect  Idea  28 

your  Spirit,  and  when  you  ask  for  its  guidance,  and 
place  yourself,  by  prayer  and  affirmation,  in  mental 
touch  with  it,  there  is  a  great  increase  in  its  manifesta- 
tion in  your  life.  It  has  back  of  it  all  the  powers  of 
Being,  and  there  is  nothing  that  it  cannot  do,  if  you  give 
it  full  sway,  and  make  your  thought  strong  enough  to 
carry  out  the  great  forces  which  it  is  seeking  to  express 
in  you. 

Here  is  a  most  important  part  of  the  law  of 
mind  action,  which  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  un- 
derstand before  one  can  demonstrate  the  power  of  the 
Superconscious  Mind.  That  is  the  law  of  thought  unity. 
Among  our  associates  we  like  and  are  attracted  to  those 
who  understand  and  sympathize  with  our  thought.  The 
same  law  holds  good  in  Divine  Mind — its  thoughts  are 
drawn  to,  and  find  expression  in  the  minds  of  those  who 
raise  themselves  to  its  thought-standard.  This  means 
that  we  must  think  of  ourselves  as  God  thinks  of  us,  in 
order  to  appreciate  and  receive  his  thoughts  and  bring 
forth  the  fruits.  If  you  think  of  yourself  as  anything 
less  than  the  Perfect  Child  of  a  Perfect  Parent,  you 
lower  the  thought-standard  of  your  mind,  and  cut  off 
the  influx  of  thought  from  the  Divine  Mind.  Jesus  re- 
ferred to  this  law  when  he  said,  "Be  ye  perfect  even  as 
your  Father  in  heaven  is  perfect." 

When  we  go  forth  in  this  right  understanding  we 
find  a  new  state  of  consciousness  forming  in  us — we 
think  and  do  many  things  not  according  to  the  establish- 
ed custom,  and  the  old  mentality  rises  up  and  says,  "By 


24  Lesson   Two 

what  authority?"  We  have  so  long  looked  for  man-made 
authority  in  religious  matters  that  we  feel  we  are  tread- 
ing on  dangerous  ground  if  we  dare  to  think  beyond 
prescribed  doctrines.  Right  here  we  should  appeal  to 
the  Supreme  Reason  of  the  Spirit,  and  proclaim  what  we 
perceive  as  the  highest  truth,  regardless  of  precedent  or 
tradition,  mental  ignorance  or  physical  limitation.  I  am 
the  "image  and  likeness  of  God,"  the  "only  begotten 
Son,"  the  expressed,  or  pressed  out.  Mind  of  the  Most 
High.  This  is  my  true  estate,  and  I  shall  never  realize  it 
until  I  enter  into  it  in  mind,  because  there  it  is,  and  no- 
where else. 

It  is  only  through  this  Superconscious  Mind  that 
we  can  behold  and  commune  with  God.  "No  man  hath 
seen  God  at  any  time;  the  only  begotten  Son,  which  is  in 
the  bosom  of  the  Father,  he  hath  declared  him." 
(John  1:18.)  It  is  taught  that  Jesus  was  exclusively 
the  "only  begotten  Son,"  but  he  himself  said,  "Is  it 
not  written  in  your  Scripture,  Ye  are  gods,  and  sons  of 
the  Most  High?"  He  proclaimed  the  unity  of  all  men 
in  the  Father:  "I  am  the  light  of  the  world."  "Ye  are  the 
light  of  the  world."  Paul  says,  "  As  many  as  are  led 
by  the  Spirit  of  God,  they  are  the  sons  of  God."  "We  are 
heirs  of  God,  and  joint-heirs  with  Christ." — Rom. 
8:  14,  17. 

We  should  not  overlook  one  important  point  in 
this  matter  of  sonship.  That  is,  the  difference  between 
those  who  perceive  their  sonship  as  a  possibility,  and 
those  who  have  demonstrated  it  in  their  lives.  "Ye  must 


Being's  Perfect  Idea  25 

be  born  from  above,"  was  the  proclamation  of  Jesus. 
The  first  birth  is  the  human — the  consciousness  of  man 
as  an  intellectual  and  physical  being;  the  second  birth 
"from  above"  is  the  transformation  and  translation  of  the 
human  to  a  higher  plane  of  consciousness. 

This  is  "putting  on  Christ."  It  is  a  process  of 
mental  adjustment  and  body  transmutation,  that  takes 
place  right  here  on  earth.  "Let  the  same  mind  be  in  you 
that  was  in  Christ  Jesus/'  is  an  epitome  of  a  mental  and 
physical  change  that  may  require  years  to  work  out.  But 
all  men  must  go  through  this  change  before  they  can 
enter  into  eternal  life  and  be  as  Jesus  Christ  is. 

This  being  "born  again,"  or  "born  from  above,"  is 
not  a  miraculous  change  that  takes  place  in  man,  but 
the  establishment  in  his  consciousness  of  that  which  has 
always  existed  in  the  Man  Idea  in  Divine  Mind.  Man  is 
created  by  God  in  his  "image  and  likeness."  God  being 
Spirit,  the  man  he  creates  is  spiritual.  Therefore,  it  fol- 
lows as  a  logical  sequence  that  man  on  the  positive, 
formative,  creative  side  of  his  nature  is  the  direct  emana- 
tion of  his  Maker  and  just  like  him — endowed  with 
creative  power,  and  an  inexhaustible  resource  to  draw 
from.  It  is  to  this  Divine  Idea  that  the  Father  says, 
"Son,  all  mine  is  thine." 

This  understanding  of  the  status  of  all  men  in  the 
Divine  Mind  throws  a  new  light  upon  the  life  of  Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  and  makes  plain  many  of  his  mysterious 
statements.  The  Spiritual  Consciousness,  or  Christ- 
Mind,  was  quickened  in  him,  and  through  it  he  realized 


£6  Lesson  Two 

his  relation  to  First  Cause.  When  asked  to  show  the 
Father,  whom  he  constantly  talked  to  as  if  he  were  per- 
sonally present,  he  said,  "He  who  hath  seen  me  hath 
seen  the  Father."  Personality  had  been  merged  into  the 
Universal.  The  Mind  of  Being  and  the  Thought  of 
Being  were  joined,  and  there  was  no  consciousness  of 
separation  or  apartness. 

Everything  about  man  presages  this  higher  man. 
First  of  all  is  the  almost  universal  desire  for  that 
freedom  from  material  limitations  which  the  spiritual 
life  promises.  The  mortal  perception  spurs  man  on  to 
invent  mechanical  devices  to  rise  above  limitations.  For 
example,  he  seeks  to  fly  by  means  external.  In  his 
spiritual  nature  he  is  provided  with  the  ability  to  over- 
come gravity,  and  when  this  power  is  developed  it  will 
be  common  to  see  men  and  women  passing  to  and  fro 
in  the  air,  without  wings  or  mechanical  appliances  of  any 
description. 

The  human  organism  has  a  world  of  latent  energies 
waiting  to  be  brought  into  manifestation.  There  are 
nerve  centers  with  their  accompanying  brain  cells,  dis- 
tributed throughout  the  body,  whose  offices  are  but 
vaguely  understood.  In  the  New  Testament,  which  is 
a  work  on  Spiritual  Physiology,  these  are  referred  to  as 
"cities"  and  "rooms."  The  "upper  room"  is  the  very  top 
of  the  head.  Here  Jesus  was  when  Nicoderaus  came  to 
see  him  "by  night" — meaning  the  ignorance  of  sense  con- 
sciousness. It  was  to  this  "upper  room"  that  Jesus  told 
his  followers  to  go  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  and  pray  until 


Being's  Perfect  Idea  27 

the  Holy  Spirit  should  come  upon  them.  The  Super- 
consciousness,  or  Christ-Mind,  finds  its  first  entrance 
into  the  natural  mind  in  this  higher  brain  center. 
Through  thought,  speech  and  deed  this  mind  is  brought 
into  manifestation.  The  new  birth  is  symbolically  de- 
scribed in  the  history  of  Jesus  Christ. 

"Verily,  I  say  unto  you.  That  many  prophets  and 
righteous  men  have  desired  to  see  those  things  which  ye 
see,  and  have  not  seen  them;  and  to  hear  those  things 
which  ye  hear,  and  have  not  heard  them." — Matt.  13:17. 


STATEMENTS     FOR    THE    REALIZATION    OF    THE 

SON    OF    GOD 

(To  be  used  in  connection  with  Lesson  Two.) 

I  am  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  Spirit  of  the  Most 
High  dwells  in  me. 

I  am  the  only  begotten  Son,  which  is  in  the  bosom 
of  the  Father. 

I  am  the  Lord  of  my  mentality  and  ruler  of  all  its 
Thought-People. 

I  am  the  Christ  of  God. 

Through  Christ  I  have  dominion  over  every  thought 
and  word. 

I  am  the  Beloved  Son  in  whom  the  Father  is  well 
pleased. 

All  that  the  Father  hath  is  mine. 

Of  a  truth  I  am  the  Son  of  God. 

He  who  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father. 


28  Lesson  Two 

I  and  my  Father  are  one. 

My  Highest  Ideal  is  a  Perfect  Man. 

My  next  Highest  Ideal  is  that  I  be  that  Perfect 
Man. 

I  am  the  Image  and  Likeness  of  God,  in  whom  is 
my  Perfection. 

It  is  written  in  the  Law  of  my  Lord,  "Ye  are  gods 
and  Sons  of  the  Most  High." 

This  is  written  that  ye  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  the 
Clirist,  the  Son  of  God;  and  that  believing  ye  may  have 
life  in  his  name. 


LESSON   THREE 


MANIFESTATION 

S  a  rule,  religious  people  are  not  scientific. 
They  think  religion  and  science  are  separated 
by  a  gulf  and  that  the  scientific  mind  is  dan- 
gerous. Science  to  them  is  associated  with  Darwin,  Hux- 
ley, and  other  students  of  natural  law,  who  have  been 
skeptical  about  the  scientific  accuracy  of  the  Bible,  and 
because  of  their  skepticism  branded  as  infidels.  Hence, 
it  has  come  to  be  almost  heresy  for  a  good  Christian  to 
think  about  his  religion  as  having  a  scientific  side. 

By  science  we  mean  the  systematic  and  orderly 
arrangement  of  knowledge.  This  definition  does  not 
confine  science  to  the  material  world.  There  is  a 
science  in  Christianity,  and  only  through  the  understand- 
ing of  this  as  fundamental  can  it  be  fully  demonstrated 
in  the  life  of  man.  To  fail  to  understand  the  science 
upon  which  Spirit  rests,  is  to  fail  in  nearly  every  demon- 
stration of  its  power.  Paul  says  in  I.  Cor.  14:15,  "I 
will  pray  with  the  Spirit,  and  I  will  pray  with  the  un- 
derstanding also." 

There  is  a  gulf  between  the  high  spiritual  and  the 
most  external  material  manifestation,  and  only  through 
the  bridging  of  this  gulf  can  science  and  religion  be  rec- 


so  Lesson  Three 

onciled.  This  bridge  is  the  structure  which  thought 
builds.  When  Christians  understand  the  science  of 
thinking,  and  the  power  of  thought  to  manifest  itself, 
and  how  that  manifestation  is  accomplished,  they  will 
no  longer  fear  material  science.  Also,  when  material 
scientists  have  fathomed  the  real  nature  of  that  living 
force  which  they  discern  as  ever  active  in  all  of  Nature's 
structures,  they  will  have  more  respect  for  religion. 

Both  the  religionist  and  the  physicist  hold  that  the 
Bible  is  an  historical  description  of  man's  creation — 
neither  is  correct.  Beginning  with  the  very  first  chapter 
of  Genesis  the  Bible  is  an  allegory.  It  is  so  regarded  by 
the  majority  of  Hebrew  scholars,  and  they  ought  cer- 
tainly to  know  the  character  of  their  own  scriptures. 
Paul  was  a  Hebrew,  and  thoroughly  versed  in  the  occult- 
ism of  spiritual  writings,  and  he  said,  referring  to  the 
story  of  Abraham  and  Sarah,  "Which  things  are  an  al- 
legory." Hebrews  almost  universally  claim  that  the  story 
of  the  Garden  of  Eden,  and  Adam  and  Eve  and  the 
serpent,  is  symbology. 

In  the  face  of  these  facts,  it  seems  strange  that 
orthodox  Christianity  should  insist  upon  the  Bible  as  a 
literal  history.  It  is  this  way  of  looking  at  it  which  has 
killed  out  the  true  spiritual  understanding.  Read  in 
the  light  of  the  Spirit,  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  is  a 
description  in  symbol  of  the  creative  action  of  Universal 
Mind  in  the  realm  of  ideas,  and  does  not  pertain  to  the 
manifest  universe  any  more  than  the  inventor's  idea 
pertains  to  the    machine    which  he  afterwards    builds. 


Manifestation  31 

First,  the  problem  is  thought  out,  and  afterwards  the 
structure  produced.  So  God  builds  his  universe.  This  is 
explained  in  the  second  chapter  of  Genesis,  which  says 
that  God  "rested  from  his  work,"  and  yet  there  were  no 
plants  of  the  field,  "and  there  was  not  a  man  to  till  the 
ground."  "And  the  Lord  God  formed  man  of  the  dust  of 
the  ground,  and  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of 
life;  and  man  became  a  living  soul." 

Only  through  the  perception  of  the  mental  law  by 
which  ideas  manifest  from  the  formless  to  the  formed, 
can  we  understand  and  reconcile  these  two  apparently 
contradictory  chapters.  But  in  the  light  of  this  under- 
standing everything  is  made  plain,  and  we  discern  just 
how  the  Divine  Mind  is  creating  man  and  the  imiverse; 
first  the  ideal  concept,  then  the  manifestation. 

The  six  days'  creation  as  described  in  the  first 
chapter  of  Genesis,  represents  six  great  ideal  projec- 
tions from  Divine  Mind,  each  more  comprehensive 
than  its  predecessor,  until  the  final  climax  is  reached 
in  the  sixth  degree,  when  the  declaration  is  that  a  being, 
described  as  man,  shall  appear  who  shall  have  dominion 
over  everything,  ox  every  idea,  that  has  gone  before. 
This  ideal  man,  who  is  the  "image  and  likeness"  of 
"Elohim,"  is  the  epitome  and  focal  center  around  which 
all  creation  revolves.  Hence,  the  one  important  study 
of  man  is  the  mind  of  man.  It  is  the  key  to  all  myster- 
ies, both  religious  and  material.  When  we  know  how 
mind  manifests  from  the  ideal  to  the  so-called  real,  we 


32  Lesson  Three 

are  no  longer  in  the  dark,  but  have  that  truth  which 
Jesus  said  would  make  us  free. 

There  is  but  one  Man.  Every  man  in  the  universe 
has  access  on  the  spiritual  side  of  his  being  to  that  Man, 
eternally  existing  in  Divine  Mind  as  a  perfect  man  idea. 
When  man  appreciates  this  mighty  truth,  and  applies 
it  in  his  conscious  thinking,  all  manifestation  becomes  to 
him  harmonious  and  orderly,  and  he  sees  God  every- 
where. 

A  right  understanding  of  the  Divine  Law  of  creation 
makes  man  a  necessary  faculty  in  God's  great  work. 
Through  man  God  is  creating  or  manifesting  outwardly 
that  which  exists  in  the  ideal.  In  order,  then,  that  the 
creation  shall  go  on  and  be  fulfilled  as  God  has  de- 
signed, man  must  not  only  understand  the  law 
of  mind  action  in  his  individual  thought,  but  also  his 
relation  to  the  Universal  Thought.  Not  only  must  he  un- 
derstand it,  but  he  must  consciously  put  himself  men- 
tally into  right  relation  with  Divine  Ideals.  Jesus  Christ 
understood  this  law,  and  repeatedly  claimed  that  he  was 
sent  of  God  to  carry  out  the  Divine  Will  in  the  world. 
This  is  true  of  every  man,  and  none  will  have  satisfac- 
tion in  life  until  he  recognizes  this  Universal  Law,  and 
becomes  obedient  to  and  a  willing  worker  with  Divine 
Mind. 

Spiritual  man  is  I  am;  manifest  man  is  /  Will.  I 
AM  is  the  Lord  God  of  Scripture,  and  I  Will  the  Adam. 
It  is  the  I  AM  man  that  forms  and  breathes  into  the  / 
Will  man  the  "breath  of  life."  When  we  are  in  the  realm 


Manifestation  33 

of  the  ideal  we  are  I  am;  when  we  are  expressing  those 
ideals  in  thought  and  act  we  are  /  Will.  When  the  I 
Will  gets  so  absorbed  in  its  realm  of  expression  that  it 
loses  sight  of  the  ideal,  and  centers  all  its  attention  in  the 
manifest,  it  is  Adam  listening  to  the  serpent  and  hiding 
from  the  Lord  God.  This  breaks  the  connection  between 
Spirit  and  manifestation,  and  man  loses  that  conscious- 
ness which  is  his  under  Divine  Law.  In  this  state  of 
mind  there  is  a  drawing  upon  the  reserve  forces  of 
the  organism,  or  tree  of  life;  and  the  real  source  of 
supply  being  cut  off,  man  is  figuratively  described  as 
driven  out  of  the  Garden  of  Eden,  or  Paradise  of  Being. 

Every  idea  projects  form.  Man's  body  is  the  pro- 
jection of  an  idea  in  his  mind,  and  we  all  carry  our 
bodies  in  our  minds.  The  body  is  the  fruit  of  the  tree 
of  life  that  grows  in  the  midst  of  the  garden  of  mind. 
If  the  body-idea  is  grounded  and  rooted  in  Divine  Mind 
the  body  will  be  filled  with  a  perpetual  life  flow  that 
will  repair  all  its  waste  and  heal  all  its  diseases. 

When  man  realizes  that  there  is  but  one  body,  and 
that  the  conditions  in  his  body  express  the  character  of 
his  thought,  he  has  the  key  to  bodily  perfection  and 
immortality  in  the  flesh.  But  "flesh  and  blood"  cannot 
inherit  the  Kingdom  of  God.  The  "flesh  and  blood" 
here  referred  to  is  the  corruptible  body-idea  whicli  men 
carry  in  mind.  When  we  get  the  right  idea  of  the 
origin  and  character  of  the  body,  the  corruptible  will 
put  on  incorruption,  and  our  bodies  will  be  raised  from 
the  dead  as  was  that  of  Jesus.     "Neither  was  he  left 


34  Lesson  Three 

unto  Hades,  nor  did  his  flesh  see  corruption." — Acts  2:31. 

Then  the  resurrection  of  our  bodies  from  the  dead 
begins  in  our  minds.  We  must  change  our  ideas  about 
the  body  and  hold  to  the  Truth  of  its  origin  and  destiny 
as  conceived  by  God,  in  whose  Mind  its  real  being 
exists.  Our  work  is  to  make  manifest  that  which  God 
has  conceived  in  mind,  or  created  in  Spirit  for  us,  that  is 
a  spiritual  body. 

When  we  have  this  understanding  and  begin  the 
redemption  of  the  body,  the  Spirit  of  God  quickens  the 
inner  life  of  the  whole  organism  and  we  know  that  the 
promise  in  Acts  2:17  is  being  fulfilled  in  us.  "In 
the  last  days,  saith  God,  I  will  pour  forth  my  Spirit  upon 
all  flesh." 

The  problem  before  man  in  the  present  race  con- 
sciousness is  how  to  get  back  to  the  "Father's  house," 
in  which  is  inexhaustible  abundance.  As  it  is  through 
an  exercise  of  the  free  will  inherent  in  us  that  we  sepa- 
rate ourselves  from  the  Father,  so  it  must  be  through 
that  same  faculty  that  we  again  make  a  conscious  union 
with  him.  We  must  realize  the  foolishness  of  living  in 
that  most  external  realm  where  only  the  husks  of  things 
are,  and  upon  which  we  would  fain  satisfy  ourselves, 
but  cannot.  Then  let  us  turn  our  attention  within,  and 
through  traveling  for  a  season  in  that  direction,  we  shall 
find  the  source  and  substance  of  life. 

This  turning  within,  after  one  has  for  a  long  time 
been  looking  without,  is  no  easy  matter.  The  mind 
that  has  been  trained  to  the  standards  of  the  formed 


Manifestation  85 

universe  is  often  slow  to  grasp  the  formless.  But 
there  is  a  state  of  consciousness  in  the  soul  that  has, 
through  ages  of  experiences,  learned  about  this  formless 
world  and  is  at  home  in  it.  Our  dreams  and  visions 
and  spiritual  experiences,  of  which  we  seldom  speak, 
come  from  this  inner  realm.  So  it  is  found  that  we 
have  a  household  waiting  for  us  on  the  subjective  side 
of  our  being,  and  its  welcome  is  worth  all  the  effort  of 
the  journey.  We  "seek  a  country"  from  which  we  came 
forth,  as  referred  to  in  Hebrews. — 11:14. 

Individualize  yourself  in  the  highest  by  affirming 
that  in  Spirit  and  in  Truth  you  are  all  that  God  is. 
This  is  true  of  man's  spiritual  nature,  and  he  must  claim 
the  supreme  inheritance  before  he  can  enter  into  the 
mighty  mental  and  spiritual  forces  that  proceed  from 
the  Kingdom  of  God.  No  one  ever  enters  into  the 
"Kingdom  of  God  within"  and  sits  upon  the  throne,  or 
abides  there,  until  he  has  the  courage  and  fearlessness 
to  proclaim  himself  joint  heir  with  Jesus  Christ.  Then 
he  must  prove  his  dominion  through  purity  of  motive,  un- 
selfish devotion  to  Truth  Universal,  and  a  steady  industry 
and  patience  in  overcoming  the  limitations  of  his  own 
sense  consciousness. 

Man's  true  identity  is  in  Divine  Mind.  That  is,  he 
has  no  separate  mind  from  the  One  Universal  Realm  of 
Ideas.  He  must  establish  himself  in  that  One  and 
Only  Mind.  He  came  forth  from  it,  and  his  whole  exist- 
ence depends  upon  it;  then  why  not  consciously  make  the 


S6  Lesson  Three 

mental  connection  that  will  establish  the  harmony  and 
order  upon  which  all  existence  depends  ? 

Nearly  all  religious  systems  aim  to  bring  about  this 
unity  between  God  and  man,  and  many  of  them  are  quite 
successful  in  their  methods.  We  owe  much  to  the  church, 
and  the  education  and  helps  which  we  have  received 
directly  and  indirectly  through  the  efforts  of  spiritually 
minded  people  in  all  ages.  The  Truth  has  pressed  upon 
them  and  they  have  demonstrated  it  up  to  their  highest 
understanding.  Now,  however,  we  are  in  a  fuller  degree 
of  enlightenment  of  the  mental  laws  governing  man  and 
the  universe,  and  can  more  definitely  and  scientifically 
apply  the  method  for  spiritual  development,  which  in  the 
religious  systems  are  usually  followed  through  faith.  To 
your  faith  add  understanding. 

This  getting  back  into  the  Garden  of  Eden,  or  taking 
possession  of  the  "Promised  Land,"  is  a  conscious  enter- 
ing into  the  subjective  part  of  one's  own  being.     Instead 
of  the  Will  acting  upon  the  body  center  from  within — 
which  is  Divine  Order — in  the  average  person  it  acts 
through  reflection  from  without.     That  is,  we  really  live 
outside  our  bodies  instead  of  within  them.    This  gives  us  a 
very  slender  hold  upon  them  and  they  are  in  consequence 
weak  and  apt  to  slip  away  from  us  on  very  slight  pretexts. 
Then  man  should  constantly  affirm,  "I  am,  and  / 
Will  manifest  the  perfection  of  the  Mind  within."  This 
is  the  abstract  statement — then  there  is  the  concrete  iden- 
tification.    We  must  learn  the  law  of  expression   from 
the  abstract  to  the  concrete — from  the  formless  to  the 


Manifestation  37 

formed.  Every  idea  makes  a  structure  after  its  own 
image  and  likeness^  and  all  such  ideas  and  structures  are 
grouped  and  associated  according  to  the  ideas  which  they 
represent. 

All  ideas  pertaining  to  power  group  themselves 
about  structures  impregnated  with  power.  Such  ideas 
are  not  attracted  to  ideas  of  love.  Love  has  its  group  and 
builds  its  structures  in  a  place  by  themselves.  Thus  in 
our  bodies  we  have  observed  certain  of  these  manifest 
centers,  and  recognized  and  named  them  as  the  seat  of 
emotions,  and  expressions  of  characteristics  supposed  to 
exist  in  the  soul.  Love  is  universally  recognized  as  ex- 
pressing itself  through  the  heart,  and  intelligence  through 
the  head. 

In  the  study  of  Mind  and  Spirit,  these  inner  cen- 
ters of  consciousness  are  concentrated  upon  until  they 
respond  to  the  I  Will,  and  they  gradually  become  obe- 
dient to  it,  and  man  finds  that  he  can  control  and  direct 
every  function  of  his  organism,  and  perpetuate  its  life  and 
existence  indefinitely. 

This  is  the  "regeneration"  of  the  New  Testament, 
a  process  of  body  refinement  to  the  point  of  physical  im- 
mortality. Jesus  said  of  this  estate:  "The  regeneration 
when  the  Son  of  man  shall  sit  in  the  throne  of  his  glory." 


38  Lesson  Three 

I   AM   REALIZATIONS 
(To  be  used  in  connection  with  Lesson  Three.) 

I   AM  that   I   AM. 

I    AM    Identity  demonstrated. 

I  AM  that  I  AM  and  there  is  none  beside  me. 

I   AM  one  with  Almightiness. 

I  AM  the  Substance  of  Being  made  manifest. 

I  am  formed  in  the  perfection  of  the  Divine  Idea? 
Man,  Christ  Jesus. 

My  body  is  not  material,  but  spiritual,  and  perfect 
in  all  its  Being. 

Centered  and  established  in  the  One  Mind,  I  am  not 
disturbed  by  the  falsities  without. 

My  identity  is  in  God,  and  my  work  is  to  establish 
his  Kingdom  within  me. 

I  can  do  nothing  of  myself,  but  the  Father  dwell- 
ing in  me,  he  doeth  the  works. 

I  am  striving  in  all  my  thoughts  and  ways  to  make 
the  "image  and  likeness  of  God"  manifest. 

My  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God. 

I  am  unified  with  the  One  Living  Substance. 

Thy  Living  Mind  hath  entered  into  me  and  I  am 
whole. 

I  am  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life. 


LESSON    FOUR 


THE    FORMATIVE    POWER    OF    THOUGHT 

Hx\T  the  body  is  moved  by  thought  is  universally 
accepted,  but  that  thought  is  also  the  builder  of 
the  body  is  not  so  widely  admitted.  We  know 
that  thought  moves  the  various  members  of  the  body,  be- 
cause we  have  constantly  before  us  the  close  sympathy  be- 
tween thought  and  act.  Before  I  run,  I  think  I  will  run, 
and  my  legs  begin  to  move  swiftly  in  imagination  before 
I  begin  the  action  outwardly.  It  is  found  by  a  system 
of  experiments  made  at  Harvard  College,  that  the  thought 
of  running  throws  the  blood  into  the  legs.  A  man  is  put 
flat  on  his  back  on  a  balanced  beam,  which  is  adjusted 
so  that  the  least  weight  at  head  or  foot  will  register 
on  the  index.  When  a  perfect  balance  is  attained,  the 
man  is  given  a  problem  in  mathematics  to  solve.  Im- 
mediately the  index  shows  increased  weight  at  the 
head,  indicating  that  thought  has  called  blood  there. 
Then  he  is  told  to  imagine  that  he  is  running,  and  again 
the  index  shows  the  weight  gradually  shifting  to  the 
feet.  This  is  so  nicely  adjusted  as  to  give  the  exact 
weight  of  substance  that  changes  place  with  the  various 
thoughts  held. 

Here  is  proof  that  thought  not  only  moves  the  ex- 


40  Lesson  Four 

ternal  members  of  the  body,  but  the  flowing  fluids  within 
it.  If  thought  so  readily  moves  the  blood  from  place  to 
place,  who  shall  say  that  it  does  not  more  quickly  move 
the  nerve  fluid,  or  that  still  more  volatile  substance,  the 
magnetic  force  that  pervades  all  organisms?  We  affirm 
that  it  does,  and  that  it  not  only  moves  these  various  ele- 
ments of  the  body,  but  that  it  forms  them  as  well. 

Medical  authorities  of  the  highest  repute  tell  us 
that  certain  organs  of  the  body  are  self-renewing,  and 
that  it  is  a  puzzle  to  them  how  they  ever  wear  out.  If 
you  had  a  sewing  machine  that  had  the  power  to  con- 
stantly replace  the  little  particles  worn  away  by 
friction,  can  you  imagine  a  time  when  that  machine  would 
be  destroyed  ?  In  health,  man's  body  has  this  power  and 
when  it  is  in  harmony  it  never  wears  out.  The  harmony 
referred  to  is  adjustment  to  the  law  of  Being,  or  the 
law  of  Divine  Nature,  or  the  law  of  God.  It  does  not 
matter  what  you  call  this  fundamental  Principle  underly- 
ing all  life — the  important  thing  is  to  understand  it, 
and  put  one's  self  in  harmony  with  it. 

We  have  always  been  told  that  we  would  be  healthy 
if  we  conformed  to  the  laws  of  Nature,  but  no  one  has 
been  able  to  tell  us  just  what  these  laws  are.  Some 
have  said  that  this  conformity  consists  in  eating  the 
right  kind  of  food,  or  in  drinking  the  right  kind  of  water 
in  the  right  sort  of  way,  or  breathing  pure  air  and  wear- 
ing suitable  clothes.  We  have  done  all  these  things,  and 
there  is  yet  something  lacking-  It  is  quite  evident  that 
we  have  not,  through  observing  these  external  adjust- 


The  Formative  Power  of  Thought  41 

ments,  gotten  at  the  underlying  principle  of  Nature. 
Nature  works  intelligently,  and  we  shall  never  be  able 
to  conform  to  her  laws  until  we  approach  her  as  we 
would  a  wise  and  loving  mother,  whom  we  know  gladly 
gives  us  what  we  want  when  we  use  it  wisely.  Nature, 
then,  is  not  a  blind  force  working  in  darkness  and  igno- 
rance. All  her  works  indicate  intelligence — mind  at 
work.  This  being  true,  we  perceive  that  we  cannot 
conform  to  the  laws  of  Nature  until  we  recognize  the 
Mind  through  which  she  works. 

Those  who  have  not  thought  about  this  propo- 
sition, and  tried  to  know  and  understand  the  mental 
side  of  life,  are  like  men  walking  in  broad  daylight 
with  their  eyes  closed.  The  mind  has  eyes,  and  we  can 
see,  or  perceive  this  inner  intelligence  if  we  look  with 
the  mind.  But  those  who  look  wholly  with  the  phys- 
ical eye  are  really  blind;  "having  eyes  they  see  not." 
Man's  salvation  from  sin,  sickness,  pain  and  death 
will  come  only  through  an  understanding  of  and  con- 
formity to  this  orderly  Mind  back  of  all  existence. 
"Ye  shall  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth  shall  make 
you  free." 

Man  is  an  epitome  of  Being.  Material  science 
says  that  his  body  contains  a  portion  of  all  the  ele- 
ments in  the  earth  and  air.  Psychology  finds  his  soul 
responding  to  all  the  emotions,  sensations  and  vibra- 
tions of  the  sentient  world  about  him,  and  spiritual 
science  discerns  that  his  superconsciousness  is  inspired 
with    all    ideas    fundamental    in    Divine    Mind.      Man, 


42  Lesson  Four 

then,  is  the  key  to  God  and  the  universe,  and  he  may 
know  all  things  by  studying  his  constitution.  Supreme 
in  this  constitution  is  mind.  Man  must  base  all  his 
researches  upon  mind,  because  it  is  the  starting  point 
of  every  thought,  act  and  form. 

Some  metaphysicians  teach  that  man  makes  him- 
self, others  that  God  makes  him,  and  others  that  the 
creative  process  is  a  co-operation  of  God  and  man. 
The  latter  is  proved  true  by  those  who  have  had  the 
deepest  spiritual  experiences.  Jesus  recognized  this 
dual  creative  process,  as  shown  in  many  statements 
relative  to  his  work  and  the  Father's  work.  "My 
Father  worketh  even  until  now,  and  I  work." — (John 
5:17.)  God  creates  in  the  ideal,  and  man  carries  out  in 
the  manifest  what  God  has  idealized.  Jesus  treats  of 
this  relation  between  the  Father  and  the  son  in  the 
fifth  chapter  of  John:  "The  son  can  do  nothing  of 
himself,  but  what  he  seeth  the  Father  doing:  for  what 
things  soever  he  doeth,  these  the  Son  also  doeth  in  like 
manner." 

Thought  is  man's  creative  power,  and  when  he 
uses  it  understandingly — that  is,  by  mentally  per- 
ceiving the  right  relation  of  ideas  in  Divine  Mind,  or, 
as  stated  by  Jesus,  "What  he  seeth  the  Father  doing," 
he  builds  a  mentality  and  body  of  perfection.  Thus  Ave 
see  the  necessity  of  not  only  thinking  right  thoughts, 
but  of  having  a  right  basis  for  our  thinking.  We  must 
think  from  Principle.  The  successful  mathematician 
bases  all  his  calculations  on  the  rules  of  mathematical 


The  Formative  Power  of  Thought  43 

science;  so  the  successful  metaphj-sician  bases  his  crea- 
tive thinking  on  the  unlimited  ideas  of  the  One  Mind. 
This  is  what  makes  Christianity  a  science — it  is  gov- 
erned by  scientific  principles  of  mind.  These  principles 
are  really  the  foundation  of  all  the  various  sciences, 
but  they  are  secondary,  while  it  is  primary. 

The  physical  scientist  does  not  go  back  of  the 
cell  or  molecule  in  his  analysis  of  forms.  He  postu- 
lates that  atoms  have  an  existence,  but  he  has  never  seen 
one.  He  assumes  that  the  realm  beyond  the  ken  of 
physical  perception  is  not  possible  of  investigation.  But 
the  metaphysician  delves  into  the  realm  where  atoms, 
molecules  and  cells  are  formed,  and  he  not  only  sees 
how  they  are  made,  but  he  acquires  the  ability  to  make 
them.  He  finds  that  they  are  all  dependent  upon  ideas, 
and  by  using  right  ideas  he  can  make  manifest  any  form 
or  shape  he  may  desire.  For  example,  what  is  named 
externally  substance  has  its  source  in  a  mental  idea  of 
form  and  shape.  What  is  termed  life  has  its  source  in 
an  idea  of  action.  What  is  termed  intelligence  has  its 
source  in  an  idea  of  knowing.  So  with  all  the  manifesta- 
tions we  see  about  us ;  they  all  have  their  source  in  some 
idea  in  mind,  and  can  be  formed  and  transformed  at 
will  by  one  who  understands  and  can  use  this  mind 
power. 

A  study  of  the  mind  and  its  manifold  manifesta- 
tions reveals  that  there  is  a  difference  between  the 
thing  and  the  mind  in  which  it  had  its  original  impetus 
as   an   idea.      Life   in   Divine   Mind   is   unlimited   as  an 


44  Lesson  Four 

idea  of  perpetual,  omnipresent  action,  but  through 
thought  it  may  be  subject  to  many  limitations.  Sub- 
stance in  Divine  Mind  is  an  idea  of  perfection  in  form, 
but  thought  has  caricatured  it  on  every  side.  Intel- 
ligence in  Divine  Mind  is  all-knowing,  but  thought  has 
said  there  is  ignorance,  and  it  has  been  so  demon- 
strated. It  is  not  true,  therefore,  that  all  manifestation 
is  good  because  it  has  its  origin  in  Divine  Mind.  The 
underlying  ideas  have  their  foundation  there,  but  man 
has  put  the  limitation  of  his  thought  upon  them,  and  sees 
them  "through  a  glass  darkly." 

Applying  this  to  individual  consciousness,  we  find 
just  how  man  thinks  his  body  into  disease.  Instead 
of  basing  his  thought  upon  what  is  true  in  the  Absolute 
of  Being,  he  bases  it  on  conditions  as  they  appear  in  the 
formed  realm  about  him,  and  the  result  is  bodily  discord 
in  multitudinous  shapes.  There  is  a  universal  thought- 
substance  pervading  all  Nature  that  is  more  sensi- 
tive than  the  phonographic  record.  These  records  re- 
ceive and  preserve  every  vibration  of  sound,  but  the 
thought-substance  does  better  than  this;  it  transcribes 
not  only  all  sounds,  but  even  the  slightest  vibration  of 
thought.  The  telephone  system  of  a  large  city  is  a  good 
illustration  of  the  manner  in  which  thought  works  on 
the  organism.  The  nerves  are  the  wires,  and  the  nerve 
fluids  the  electricity.  The  ganglionic  aggregations 
throughout  the  body  are  the  sub-stations.  The  pre- 
siding intelligence  sends  its  thought  from  the  head; 
"Central,"   at  the   solar  plexus,   receives   it   and   makes 


The  Formative  Power  of  Thought  45 

connection  with  the  part  of  the  body  designated. 
You  think  of  your  stomach,  and  instantly  the  connection 
is  made  with  that  center,  and  the  Presiding  Thought 
stationed  there  takes  your  message  and  carries  it  into 
efifect.  If  the  message  is,  "You  are  weak,"  it  is  so  re- 
corded. If  it  is,  "You  are  strong,  vigorous,  fearless 
spiritual  intelligence,  life  and  substance,"  that  mes- 
sage is  transcribed  and  carried  into  action  in  due 
process. 

Every  part  of  the  body  is  thus  connected  with  this 
great  solar  plexus  central  station,  and  it  is  very  obedi- 
ent in  carrying  out  instructions  received  from  the  pre- 
siding intelligence  in  the  head.  There  are  several  great 
sub-centers  and  innumerable  minor  centers  pervad- 
ing the  whole  organism.  These  centers  of  thought  are 
the  formed  ideas  of  mind,  which  have  an  affinity  for  one 
another,  based  upon  the  attractive  power  of  Love,  which 
is  the  binding  factor  of  the  organism.  Physical  science 
calls  this  binding  energy  the  centripetal  power,  but 
all  forces  of  whatever  character  are  mental,  and  must  be 
reduced  to  ideas,  thoughts  and  words,  to  be  understood. 

All  ideas  pertaining  to  life  expression  have  their 
center  of  action  in  that  part  of  the  body  called  the  gen- 
erative function,  and  whatever  thought  we  think,  or 
express  in  words,  about  life,  is  immediately  'phoned  to 
this  generative  ganglion  and  registered  there.  These 
thoughts  are  not  only  registered,  but  there  is,  through 
repeated  thinking,  built  up  an  Ego,  or  identity,  at  that 
center  whose  dominant  thought  is  life-action  in  its  va- 


46  Lesson  Four 

rious  phases.  This  life  center  is  Divine,  and  should  be 
thought  about  and  used  in  the  purest,  highest  way. 
This  will  lead  to  the  perfect  manifestation  of  life  in 
the  whole  body.  All  thoughts  about  the  loss  of  life,  or 
the  weakness  of  life,  or  the  impurity  of  life,  should  be 
persistently  denied  out  of  mind,  and  the  strongest  kind 
of  affirmation  made  of  what  life  is  in  God.  In  this  way 
we  connect  the  life  center  with  its  spiritual  source,  and 
it  is  restored  to  Divine  harmony. 

A  majority  of  the  ills  that  afflict  the  body  have 
their  origin  in  erroneous  thoughts  about  life,  and  a 
misuse  of  the  life  function.  In  Genesis  it  is  compared 
to  a  tree — its  roots  are  in  the  ground  and  its  branches 
reach  up  to  the  heavens.  All  the  pleasant  sensations 
in  the  organism  are  produced  through  union  of  the 
forces  emanating  from  this  center.  Through  the  nerves, 
or  branches,  it  sends  its  currents  of  life  to  the  very  ex- 
tremities of  the  body,  and  even  beyond  into  the  finer 
ethers  of  the  soul.  It  is  spiritual,  but  so  subtle  (serpent- 
like) are  its  vibrations  that  man  is  tempted  to  eat,  or 
consume  in  its  pleasant  sensations,  the  reserve  forces,  or 
fruits  of  his  organism,  here  stored  up.  This  unfrocks  him 
— takes  away  his  robe  of  power  and  mastery  and  domin- 
ion over  the  physical  forces  that  environ  him.  Instead  of 
abiding  at  the  center  of  his  body,  and  consciously  ruling 
it  and  the  world  of  Nature  without,  he  is  "cast  out  of 
the  garden." 

But,  through  right  understanding  and  right  thoughts 
and    words,    man    shall    regain    the    kingdom    within 


The  Formative  Power  of  Thought  47 

and  be  reinstated  in  the  Garden  of  Eden.  This  pro- 
cess of  man  again  taking  up  power  and  dominion  is 
now  being  carried  out  in  all  those  who  are  seeking  the 
righteousness  of  the  Christ  consciousness.  In  this  higher 
thought  realm,  all  ideas  pertaining  to  the  life  of  man  are 
in  harmonious  relation,  and  when  we  ask  in  silent  thought 
for  this  knowledge  our  minds  are  flooded  with  its  light. 
We  apprehend  only  according  to  the  receptivity,  stead- 
fastness, understanding  and  persistent  faith  of  our 
minds.  But  we  grow  in  faith  and  understanding,  and 
no  matter  how  slow  we  seem  to  be  progressing,  we  should 
never  be  discouraged  nor  give  up.  Every  one  is  heir  to 
this  higher  thought  consciousness,  and  all  must  eventually 
attain  it.  When  the  beauty  of  this  spiritual  realm  is 
spread  before  us  we  should  express  gratitude — give 
thanks  to  the  great  Soul  of  the  Universe.  When  the  as- 
tronomer Kepler  realized  the  grandeur  of  the  laws  that 
were  revealed  to  him,  he  exclaimed,  "I  thank  Thee,  God, 
that  I  think  Thy  thoughts  after  Thee." 


AFFIRMATIONS    FOR    RIGHT    THINKING 
(To  be  used  in  connection  with  Lesson  Four.) 

"As  he  thinketh  in  his  heart,  so  is  he." 
My  heart  is  righteous  toward  God. 
When    my    thoughts    are    gathered    together    in    my 
Christ  Name,  there  I  am  in  the  midst  of  them. 

I  will  think  no  evil,  for  thou  art  always  with  me. 


48  Lesson  Four 

The  thoughts  of  God  are  his  angels:  "He  hath 
given  his  angels  charge  concerning  me." 

The  thought  of  foolishness  is  sin.     Prov.  24 :9. 

The  thoughts  of  the  righteous  are  right.    Prov.  12:5. 

Commit  thy  works  unto  the  Lord  and  thy  thoughts 
shall  be  established.     Prov.  l6:3. 

I  know  the  thoughts  that  I  think  toward  you,  saith 
the  Lord,  thoughts  of  peace,  and  not  of  evil.    Jer.  29:11- 

How  precious  also  are  thy  thoughts  unto  me,  O 
God.     Psalms  139:17. 

Search  me,  O  God,  and  know  my  heart;  try  me, 
and  know  my  thoughts.     Psalm  139:23. 

Bring  into  captivity  every  thought  to  the  obedi- 
ence of  Christ.     IL  Cor.  10:5. 

Finally,  brethren,  whatsoever  things  are  true,  what- 
soever things  are  honorable,  whatsoever  things  are  just, 
whatsoever  things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely, 
whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report;  if  there  be  any 
virtue,  and  if  there  be  any  praise,  think  on  these  things. 
Phil.  4:8. 


LESSON    FIVE 


HOW    TO    CONTROL    THOUGHT 

I  HE  thoughts  of  mind  are  identities  having  a  cen- 
tral ego.  By  this  we  mean  that  every  thought 
has  a  center  around  which  all  its  elements  re- 
volve, and  to  which  it  is  obedient,  when  no  higher  power 
is  in  evidence.  Thoughts  are  capable  of  expressing  them- 
selves— they  think.  Man  thinks,  and  he  thinks  into 
his  thoughts  all  that  he  is,  hence  those  thoughts  must 
be  endowed  with  secondary  power  of  thought. 

There  is,  however,  a  difiference  between  the  original 
thinker  and  the  secondary  thought.  One  has  its  animat- 
ing center  in  Spirit,  and  the  other  in  thought.  One  is 
Son  of  God,  and  the  other  Son  of  man. 

The  one  essential  fact  to  understand  is,  that  there 
can  be  no  manifestation  without  intelligence  as  a 
fundamental  factor  and  constitutent  part.  Every  form 
in  the  universe,  every  function,  all  action,  and  all  sub- 
stance, has  a  thinking  part  which  is  receptive  to  and  can 
be  controlled  by  man.  Edison  says  he  has  observed 
that  every  molecule  has  three  things:  intelligence,  sub- 
stance and  action.  It  knows  where  it  wants  to  go,  it 
has  form  and  it  moves. 

This  intelligent  principle  in  all  things  is  the  key 


50  Lesson  Five 

to  the  metaphysician's  work.  He  does  not  concern  him- 
self with  the  action  and  reaction  of  the  chemistry  of 
matter,  nor  does  he  care  to  know  all  the  intricate  laws 
of  electricity  and  magnetism  in  order  to  get  the  very 
highest  use  of  them.  They  are  susceptible  to  thought, 
through  the  knowing  factor  in  their  construction,  and  to 
this  he  appeals.  It  is  through  this  all-pervading  intel- 
ligence that  man  exercises  his  highest  dominion.  The 
Scripture  statement  of  man's  power  and  dominion  over 
all  things  is  true  only  when  he  is  estimated  mentally. 

It  is  the  testimony  of  all  philosophers  that  every 
thing  is  in  a  state  of  construction  or  destruction.  These 
two  forces  are  all-pervading,  and  apparently  essential 
in  building  the  universe.  The  metaphysician  discerns 
the  cause  of  these  two  movements  to  be  the  "Yes"  and 
the  "No"  of  mind.  These  dual  attributes  of  mind  are 
in  evidence  everywhere,  yet  not  understood  by  those  who 
observe  the  form  instead  of  the  Spirit.  The  positive  and 
negative  poles  of  the  magnet  are  states  of  mental  affir- 
mation and  denial.  In  acid  and  alkali,  sour  and  sweet, 
chemistry  is  proclaiming  "Yes"  and  "No."  Night  and 
day,  heat  and  cold,  sunshine  and  shadow,  intelligence 
and  ignorance,  good  and  evil,  saint  and  sinner,  all  are 
the  reflections  of  mental  affirmations  and  denials.  Thus 
the  common  denominator  of  all  manifestation  is  "Yes* 
or  "No." 

It  is  found  that  by  the  use  of  these  mind  forces  man 
can  dissolve  things  by  denying  their  existence,  and  build 
them  up  by  affirming  their  presence.     This  is  a  simple 


How  TO  Control  Thought        51 

statement,  but  when  it  is  applied  in  all  the  intricate 
thought-forms  of  the  universe,  it  becomes  complex. 
This  law  of  mental  denial  and  affirmation  will  prove  its 
truth  to  all  those  who  persistently  use  it. 

This  power  of  the  mind  to  build  or  destroy  is 
exemplified  most  strikingly  in  the  human  body.  What- 
ever we  aiBrm  as  true  of  us,  in  due  season  manifests 
itself  somewhere  in  the  organism.  Whatever  we  deny 
is  taken  away,  when  the  law  has  had  time  to  work 
itself  out. 

The  body  is  made  of  cells;  some  in  a  radiant  state, 
and  some  crystallized  into  form.  The  visibility  of  these 
radiant  thought-forms  is  the  result  of  an  affirmation 
of  the  ponderability  of  substance,  or,  it  is  the  belief  in 
man's  mind  that  his  body  is  material  instead  of  spiritual. 
The  affirmative  state  of  mind  is  a  binding,  holding 
process,  and  it  involves  all  thoughts  and  their  manifes- 
tations that  come  within  its  scope.  If  man  affirms 
his  unity  with  the  life,  substance  and  intelligence  of  God, 
he  lays  hold  of  these  spiritual  qualities,  but  if  he  affirms 
the  reality  of  matter  and  the  physical  body,  he  forms  a 
material  picture  that  works  itself  out  in  flesh. 

Affirmations  and  denials  do  not  have  to  be  made 
in  set  terms,  like,  "I  affirm  my  body  to  be  material," 
but  the  general  trend  of  the  mind,  the  sum  total  of 
thought  in  all  its  aspects,  aggregates  the  affirmation  that 
fixes  and  crystallizes  thoughts  into  forms.  The  universal 
desire  and  striving  of  men  and  women  for  material 
possessions  is  the  strongest  kind  of  affirmation  and  af- 


52  Lesson  Five 

fects  both  mind  and  body  in  a  marked  degree. 
Stomach  troubles  and  constipation  are  common  com- 
plaints with  those  who  are  financially  grasping.  The 
tense  state  of  mind  which  this  affirmation  sets  up  extends 
throughout  the  body,  and  all  the  muscles,  nerves  and 
organs  become  fixed  and  almost  immovable.  This  was 
forcibly  illustrated  in  a  certain  banker,  who  was  so 
grasping  that  his  right  hand  closed  up  and  he  could  not 
open  it.  Again,  a  set  ambition  and  intense  desire  to 
excel  in  some  chosen  field  of  work  will  produce  like 
results.  A  dominating  will,  fixed  in  any  direction,  is 
a  form  of  affirmation,  and  it  affects  the  life-action  in  the 
organism  according  to  its  intensity.  Inactivity,  con- 
gestion, stiffness,  rigidity,  may  all  be  traced  to  excessive 
affirmation. 

The  metaphysical  remedy  for  this  selfish  state  of 
mind  is  denial.  "Deny  thyself  and  follow  me."  The 
"me"  here  referred  to  is  the  higher  self,  the  Christ,  and 
the  "self"  is  personality.  Denial  is  a  putting  away  the 
mental  error,  and  entering  into  conscious  relaxation  of 
both  mind  and  body.  The  healer  does  not  tell  the  patient 
audibly  that  his  constipation  is  caused  by  his  grasping  or 
stingy  state  of  mind,  but  he  mentally  denies  it,  and  holds 
the  patient  open  and  receptive  to  the  Great  Unselfish 
Mind  of  the  Universe.  People  do  not  realize  how  they 
are  bound  by  their  selfishness,  and  it  is  not  wise  to  tell 
them  openly,  until  they  are  in  understanding  of  the  differ- 
ence between  their  real  being  and  the  mortal  personality. 

Where  the  "No"   phase  of  mind   is  too   much   in 


How  TO  Control  Thought  SS 

evidence  the  whole  consciousness  is  in  relaxation. 
This  excessive  negation  makes  the  thought  indefinite  and 
vacillating,  and  the  body  weak  and  flabby.  Prolap- 
sus, dropsy,  certain  forms  of  kidney  complaints,  and 
nearly  all  relaxations  in  body  and  functions,  are  the 
result  of  the  "I  can't"  state  of  mind.  For  example, 
a  business  man  who  has  for  years  been  intent  on  money- 
making,  who  meets  with  a  large  loss  and  mourns  over  it, 
will  have  kidney  trouble  of  some  kind.  He  believes  that 
he  has  lost  his  substance,  and  a  void  thought  begins  its 
dissipation  of  the  very  tissues  of  his  body.  One  who 
has  been  very  ambitious  for  the  attainment  of  some  of- 
fice or  position,  and  defeated,  will  usually  "let  go"  the 
positive  mental  pole  and  drop  to  the  negative.  The 
result  is  bodily  weakness  somewhere.  We  speak  of  such 
people  as  having  "lost  their  grip."  This  is  exactly  what 
they  have  done — their  mental  relaxation  has  loosened 
their  grasp  upon  the  organism,  and  it  is  in  a  condition  of 
dissolution.  Physicians  have  marveled  that  so  many 
public  men  have  diabetes  and  Bright's  disease.  It  is 
because  they  have  been  defeated  in  their  ambitions,  and 
given  up.  The  "failure"  state  of  mind  throws  the  whole 
organism  into  a  panic,  and  its  functions  are  weakened  in 
their  life-action.  Instead  of  the  tonic  of  aspiration  and 
hope,  there  is  the  enervation  of  discouragement  and  de- 
spair. 

These  are  conditions  that  come  to  those  who  trust 
in  the  arm  of  flesh.  When  the  mind  of  man  is  set  on 
high,  he  never   gives   up   nor   allows   defeat  to   thwart 


54  Lesson  Five 

his  righteous  ambitions.  His  thought  is  not  set  on 
selfish  attainment,  consequently  he  does  not  experi- 
ence a  mental  vacuum  when  he  meets  with  loss.  To 
one  in  spiritual  understanding  there  is  no  loss.  The 
going  and  coming  of  material  and  intellectual  things  are 
but  changes  in  the  panorama  of  life.  This  is  con- 
stantly taking  place,  and  will  continue  so  long  as  we  live 
in  the  consciousness  of  duality,  the  "Yes"  and  "No" 
state  of  existence. 

The  object  of  man's  existence  is  to  demonstrate 
the  Truth  of  Being.  This  demonstration  takes  place 
through  experience;  but  there  are  two  ways  of  working 
out  experience.  The  first  is  through  knowing  the  law 
underlying  every  process,  and  the  second  is  through 
blindly  testing  the  process  without  understanding  the 
law. 

In  the  allegory  of  the  Garden  of  Eden  we  have  an 
illustration  of  the  choice  the  race,  to  which  we  belong, 
made  when  a  certain  stage  of  discretion  was  attained. 
Adam  represents  generic  man.  In  his  early  stages  he 
was  under  the  Law  of  Divine  Knowing — the  Lord  God 
was  his  guide  and  instructor,  and  he  made  no  mis- 
takes, but  lived  consciously  in  Divine  Light. 

All  experience  develops  personal  identity — the 
consciousness  of  the  power  itself.  This  is  the  bringing 
forth  of  the  free-will  which  is  inherent  in  all.  In  the 
course  of  his  demonstrations  of  Being  man  arrives  at  this 
place  where  he  feels  his  own  capacity,  and  he  knows 
he  can  exercise  it  without  restraint.     "Satan"  is  the  per- 


How  TO  Control  Thought  55 

sonal  mind  that  tempts  man  to  try  experience  without 
knowledge.  In  Divine  Illumination  man  does  not  enter 
consciously  into  that  dual  condition  typified  by  the 
tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  Good  is  all,  and 
evil  that  which  might  be  if  man  forsook  his  guiding  light. 
In  the  serene  Mind  of  God  there  is  no  duality,  no 
good  and  bad,  day  and  night,  understanding  and  igno- 
rance— the  brilliancy  of  the  All-Knowing  dissolves  all 
shadows  and  negations. 

It  is  man's  privilege  to  abide  in  this  Light,  and 
know  how  to  work  out  the  problem  of  existence  as  ac- 
curately as  the  mathematician,  who  follows  without 
deviation  the  rules  of  his  science.  The  Lord  admon- 
ishes the  unfolding  Adam  not  to  "eat,"  that  is,  incorpo- 
rate into  his  consciousness  this  knowledge  of  duality — - 
good  and  evil.  But,  like  the  child  who  refuses  to  take  the 
advice  of  one  who  knows,  man  falls  into  the  sense  of 
pleasure  and  excess,  the  reaction  of  which  is  pain,  and 
he  thus  has  consciousness  of  an  opposite  to  the  good. 
This  dual  mentality  naturally  sets  up  positive  and  neg- 
ative forces  in  his  mind,  which  are  reflected  into  his 
body.  The  commotion  is  so  great  that  the  soul  is  forced 
out  of  its  temple — man  is  put  out  of  the  garden,  and  in 
time  forgets  his  former  Edenic  state. 

Some  metaphysicians  argue  that  this  eating  of  the 
tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  was  a  neces- 
sary step  in  man's  evolution — that  it  is  through  experi- 
ence we  learn  all  truth,  and  without  this  experience 
we  would  always  remain  infants.     Just  here  is  the  dif- 


56  Lesson  Five 

ference  between  the  Christian  and  the  Gentile — the  one 
seeks  the  guiding  light  of  the  Spirit  in  all  his  ways, 
while  the  other  ignores  that  light  and  works  out  his  char- 
acter like  Adam,  by  the  "sweat  of  his  face."  Hard  ex- 
periences come  into  our  lives  because  we  do  not  know 
the  law  of  harmonious  thinking.  If  we  think  that  evil 
exists  as  a  power  in  the  world,  and  that  it  is  working 
in  our  lives  and  the  lives  of  those  about  us,  we  make  it 
an  active  force,  and  it  appears  to  be  all  that  we  im- 
agine it.  The  poet  truly  discerned,  "There  is  neither 
good  nor  ill,  but  thinking  makes  it  so." 

Some  metaphysicians  claim  that  it  is  not  wise  to 
make  denials ;  that  the  affirmation  includes  all  the  men- 
tal movement  necessary  to  man's  perfect  develop- 
ment. This  position  would  be  tenable  if  we  had  built 
up  our  consciousness  according  to  Divine  Law.  The 
student  who  has  carried  his  mathematical  problem  for- 
ward without  making  an  error  does  not  find  it  necessary 
to  erase.  But  if  he  sees  where  he  has  made  a  wrong 
computation,  what  then?  Nothing  but  an  erasure,  fol- 
lowed by  a  right  computation,  will  bring  the  correct 
answer.  We  have  all  fallen  short  of  Divine  Ideals,  and 
we  must  cross  out  our  errors  and  add  in  the  truths,  until 
our  characters  are  up  to  the  Jesus  Christ  standard. 

Repentance  is  a  form  of  denial.  The  forgiveness 
of  sin  is  an  erasure  of  mortal  thoughts  from  conscious- 
ness. The  joy  which  comes  to  the  converted  Christian 
is  the  inflow  of  Divine  Love  after  the  mind  has  been 
cleansed  by  denial  of  sin.     This  is  a  real  experience, 


How  TO  Control  Thought  57 

■which  may  be  repeated  again  and  again  by  one  who  un- 
derstands the  law  of  Holy  Spirit  baptism,  until  the 
whole  man  is  sanctified  and  freed  from  sin.  Christians 
look  back  upon  this  joyous  exaltation,  which  they  had 
when  they  were  converted,  as  an  experience  which  comes 
but  once  in  a  lifetime,  and  they  think  that  it  was  brought 
about  by  the  Lord  as  a  special  sign  of  their  change  of 
heart.  But  metaphysicians,  who  have  studied  the  law  of 
mind  and  practiced  denials  and  affirmations  as  a 
science,  find  that  they  can  throw  themselves  into  this 
ecstatic  state  at  will. 

To  attain  this,  begin  each  day  by  a  denial  of  all 
thoughts  of  selfishness.  This  is  following  the  com- 
mand of  Jesus,  "Deny  thyself  and  follow  me."  The 
mortal  self  is  the  Ego  around  which  revolve  all 
thoughts  that  bind  us  to  error.  We  cannot  cross  it  all  out 
at  once,  but  little  by  little  we  cast  out  the  specific 
thoughts  that  have  accumulated  and  built  up  that  false 
state  of  consciousness  termed  Judas.  In  the  life  of 
Jesus,  Judas  represents  the  false  Ego  which  error 
thought  has  generated.  This  "son  of  perdition"  is  so 
interwoven  into  the  consciousness  that  to  kill  him  at  one 
fell  swoop  would  destroy  the  mentality,  so  he  must  be 
counted  as  one  of  the  twelve,  while  we  know  that  he 
"hath  a  devil." 

In  the  symbology  of  Jesus'  life,  Judas  is  repre- 
sented as  the  treasurer;  he  "carried  the  bag."  This 
means  that  this  Ego  has  possession  of  the  sex,  or  Life 
Center,  in  the  organism,  and  is  using  it  for  its  own  selfish 


58  Lesson  Five 

ends.  Judas  was  "a  thief."  The  selfish  use  of  the  life 
and  vitality  of  the  organism  for  the  gratification  of  sense 
pleasure,  robs  the  higher  nature,  and  the  spiritual  man 
is  not  built  up.  This  is  the  betrayal  of  Christ,  and  it 
is  constantly  taking  place  in  those  who  live  to  fleshly, 
selfish  ends. 

A  time  comes,  however,  when  Judas  must  be  elimi- 
nated from  consciousness.  The  agony  of  mind  and 
final  crucifixion  of  Jesus,  represent  the  crossing  out 
wholly  of  the  false  Ego,  Judas. 

"I  die  daily,"  said  Paul.  The  "I"  that  dies  daily  is 
personal  consciousness,  which  is  formed  of  fear,  igno- 
rance, disease,  the  lust  for  material  possessions,  pride, 
anger,  and  the  legion  of  demons  that  cluster  about  the 
personal  Ego.  The  only  Savior  of  this  one  is  Jesus 
Christ,  the  spiritual  Ego,  or  superconsciousness.  We 
cannot  in  our  own  strength  solve  the  great  purifying 
problem,  but  by  giving  ourselves  wholly  to  Christ, 
constantly  denying  the  demands  of  the  personal  self,  we 
grow  into  the  Divine  Image.  This  is  the  process  through 
which  we  "awake  in  Thy  likeness." 


CLEANSING    AND    PURIFYING    STATEMENTS 
(To  be  used  in  connection  with  Lesson  Five.) 

God  is  good  and  God  is  all,  therefore  I  refuse  to 
believe  in  the  reality  of  devil  or  evil  in  any  of  its  forms. 

God  is  life  and  God  is  all;  therefore  I  refuse  to 
believe  in  the  reality  of  loss  of  life,  or  death. 


How  TO  Control  Thought  59 

God  is  power  and  strength  and  God  is  all ;  there- 
fore I  refuse  to  believe  in  inefficiency  and  weakness. 

I  am  in  authority.  I  say  to  this  thought,  Go,  and  he 
goeth;  to  another,  Come,  and  he  cometh.  (Read  Matt. 
8:5-13.) 

God  is  wisdom  and  God  is  all ;  therefore  I  refuse 
to  believe  in  ignorance. 

God  is  spiritual  substance  and  God  is  all ;  there- 
fore there  is  no  reality  in  the  limitations  of  matter. 

God  is  inexhaustible  resource  and  God  is  all ;  there- 
fore I  refuse  to  believe  in  the  reality  of  lack  or  poverty. 

God  is  love  and  God  is  all;  therefore  I  refuse  to 
believe  in  hate  or  revenge. 

He  that  is  slow  to  anger  is  better  than  the  mighty; 
and  he  that  ruleth  his  spirit  than  he  that  taketh  a  city. 
Prov.   16:82. 


LESSON   SIX 


THE   WORD 

IN  PURE  metaphysics  there  is  but  one  Word, 
the  Word  of  God.  This  is  the  original  Crea- 
tive Word,  or  thought  of  Being.  It  is  the 
''God  said"  of  Genesis.  It  is  also  referred  to  in  the  first 
chapter  of  John  as  the  Logos.  This  cannot  be  ade- 
quately translated  into  English.  In  the  original  it  in- 
cludes wisdom,  judgment,  power,  and,  in  fact,  all  the 
inherent  potentialities  in  Being.  This  Divine  Logos  was, 
and  is  always,  in  God;  in  fact,  it  is  God  as  Creative 
Power.  The  Divine  Mind  creates  under  law;  that  is, 
mental  law.  Man  may  get  a  comprehension  of  the  cre- 
ative process  of  Being  by  analyzing  the  action  of  his 
own  mind.  First  is  mind,  then  the  idea  in  mind  of  what 
the  act  shall  be,  then  the  act  itself.  In  Divine  Mind  the 
idea  is  referred  to  as  the  Word. 

According  to  Genesis,  and  all  the  mystical  writings 
bearing  upon  creation,  the  Divine  Mind  expresses  its 
Word,  and  through  the  activity  of  that  Word  the  Universe 
is  brought  forth.  Man  is  the  consummation  of  the  Word, 
and  his  spirit  has  within  it  the  concentration  of  all  that 
is  contained  within  the  Word.  Jesus  is  called  the  Word 
of  God.      That  Word   became   flesh   and   dwelt   among 


The  Word  61 

us,  and  we  beheld  his  glory  as  the  "only  begotten  of  the 
Father."  God  being  perfect,  his  idea,  or  thought,  or 
Word,  must  be  perfect,  and  this  is  spiritual  man;  it  is 
through  this  man,  or  Word  of  God,  that  all  things  are 
brought  into  manifestation,  or  made.  "And  without  the 
Word  was  not  anything  made  that  was  made."  That 
Word  is  the  "only  begotten  of  God,"  because  there  is  but 
one  idea  of  man  in  Divine  Mind,  and  that  is  man's  per- 
fect pattern. 

In  the  first  chapter  of  John  it  is  implied  that  there 
are  things  made  that  are  not  after  Divine  Ideals,  conse- 
quently not  real.  The  creations  of  the  Word  of  God  are 
permanent  and  incorruptible.  As  an  imitator  of  Divine 
Mind,  man  has  the  power  to  form  and  make  manifest 
whatsoever  he  idealizes,  but  unless  his  thought  is  unified 
with  Divine  Mind,  and  guided  in  its  operations  by  Infinite 
W^isdom,  his  creations  are  perishable. 

Mental  processes  enter  into  all  creations.  Physical 
science  has  discovered  that  every  atom  has  substance, 
force  and  intelligence — these  are  the  constituent  parts 
of  mind.  Mind  is  the  one  and  only  creative  power,  and 
all  attempts  to  account  for  creation  from  any  other  stand- 
point are  futile.  The  creative  processes  of  mind  are  con- 
tinuously operative — creation  is  going  on  all  the  time,  but 
the  original  plan,  or  design  in  Divine  Mind,  is  finished. 

Man  cannot  know  how  the  thought,  or  Word,  works 
except  through  his  own  consciousness ;  consequently, 
he  must  understand,  control  and  put  in  order  his  own 
word,  for  through  it  he  comprehends  the  Word  of  God. 


62  Lesson  Six 

Our  most  important  study,  then,  is  our  own  consciousness. 
The  old  Greeks  recognized  this  and  wrote  over  their 
temple,  "Man,  know  thyself."  The  Self  of  man  is  spirit- 
ual, and  when  in  direct  conscious  unity  with  the  Parent 
Mind  has  real  creative  power.  Man  reflects  his  every- 
day thought,  and  his  mind  is  forming  conditions,  even  to 
changing  the  face  of  Nature  itself.  Every  thought  that 
goes  forth  from  the  brain  sends  vibrations  into  the  sur- 
rounding atmosphere,  and  all  things  are  set  into  action. 
The  effect  is  in  proportion  to  the  ability  of  the  thinker 
to  concentrate  his  mental  forces.  The  average  thought 
vibration  produces  but  temporary  results,  but  under  in- 
tense activity  conditions  more  or  less  permanent  are 
impressed  upon  the  sensitive  plate  of  the  Universal 
Ether,  and  through  it  brought  into  physical  manifesta- 
tion. 

Every  idea  originating  in  Divine  Mind  is  expressed 
in  the  mind  of  man,  and  through  his  thought  brought  to 
the  outer  plane  of  consciousness.  In  the  organism  itself 
are  centers  that  respond  to  the  Divine  Ideas  as  a  musical 
instrument  sympathetically  responds  to  musical  vibra- 
tions. Then  through  another  movement  on  what  is 
termed  the  conscious,  or  most  outer  plane  of  action,  the 
thought  takes  expression  as  the  spoken  word.  There  is 
in  the  formed  conscious  man,  or  body,  a  point  of  concen- 
tration for  this  word,  through  which  it  is  expressed 
in  invisible  vibrations.  For  example,  at  the  root  of  the 
tongue  is  a  brain  center,  and  through  it  the  mind  controls 
the  larynx,  tongue,  and  all  organs  used  in  forming  words. 


The  Word  63 

Following  the  creative  law  through  from  the  formless  to 
the  formed,  we  can  see  how  an  idea  fundamental  in  Di- 
vine Mind,  is  reflected  into  man's  mind,  takes  form  in  his 
thouglit,  and  is  expressed  through  his  spoken  word.  If 
in  each  step  of  this  process  he  conformed  to  the  Divine 
Creative  Law,  man's  word  would  make  things  instantly, 
as  Jesus  made  the  loaves  and  fishes.  But  having  lost,  in 
a  measure,  the  steps  in  this  creative  process  from  the 
within  to  the  without,  there  are  many  breaks  and  ab- 
normal conditions,  and  more  failures  than  successes  in 
the  products. 

However,  every  word  has  its  effect,  though  unseen 
and  unrecognized.  Jesus  said  a  man  should  be  held  ac- 
countable for  "every  idle  word,"  and  a  close  observance 
of  the  power  of  mind  in  the  affairs  of  the  individual 
proves  this  to  be  true.  What  we  think  we  usually  ex- 
press in  words,  and  those  words  bring  about  in  our  lives 
and  affairs  whatever  we  put  into  them.  A  weak  thought 
in  the  mind  is  followed  by  words  of  weakness,  which 
through  the  law  of  expression  and  form,  changes  the 
character  of  everything  that  receives  them. 

The  nerves  are  the  wires  that  transmit  the  messages 
to  every  part  of  the  body,  and  they  as  thought  forma- 
tions carry  out  in  their  turn  the  word  that  has  been 
spoken  into  them.  To  talk  about  nervousness  and  weak- 
ness, is  to  make  those  conditions  in  the  body,  while  on 
the  other  hand  to  speak  and  send  forth  the  word  of 
strength  and  affirm  nerve  poise,  will  bring  about  that 
result.     To  talk  about  a  weak  stomach  will  make  your 


64  Lesson  Six 

stomach  weak.  To  tell  about  how  bad  your  liver  is  will 
fix  that  idea  in  your  liver.  The  usual  conversation 
among  people  creates  ill  instead  of  good  health,  because 
of  wrong  words.  If  the  words  are  of  disease  as  a  reality, 
a  vibration  of  disintegrating  forces  is  set  into  action,  that 
in  the  end  shatters  the  strongest  organism. 

As  an  example  of  the  vibratory  power  of  the  spoken 
word,  a  vocalist  can  shatter  a  wine  glass  by  concentrating 
upon  it  certain  tones.  The  fact  is,  that  every  time  we 
speak  we  cause  the  atoms  of  the  body  to  tremble  and 
change  their  places.  Not  only  do  we  cause  the  atoms 
of  our  own  bodies  to  change  their  locality,  but  we  raise  or 
lower  the  rate  of  vibration,  and  otherwise  affect  the 
bodies  of  others  with  whom  we  come  in  contact.  The 
mother  can,  by  telling  the  little  child  that  it  looks  sick  or 
tired,  produce  those  conditions  in  it,  while  words  of 
health,  life  and  strength  set  into  activity  the  body  func- 
tions, which  they  in  turn  express  in  harmony  with  the 
dominant  thought. 

Thus  every  word  brings  forth  after  its  kind.  The 
"seed"  is  the  creative  idea  inherent  in  it,  which  it 
inherits  from  its  parent  source — God.  The  enthusiast 
in  floral  culture,  who  hovers  over  and  talks  in  loving 
tones  to  her  flowers,  always  has  success  with  them,  while 
her  neighbor,  who  is  cold  and  indifferent,  fails.  It  is 
the  mental  emanation,  and  the  Creative  Word,  that  stim- 
ulate the  receptive  mentality  of  Nature,  and  although 
the  enthusiast  may  know  nothing  of  the  laws  of  mind, 
she  is  using  it  in  its  most  effective  mode,  the  Creative 


The  Word  65 

Word.  In  like  manner  the  mind  healer,  mentally  and 
audibly  speaks  to  the  same  all-pervading  receptacle, 
and  it  responds  by  building  up  wasted  tissues  and  weak- 
ened functions. 

Mind  is  everywhere,  and  its  avenues  of  expression 
are,  like  the  ether  of  wireless  telegraphy,  strung  in  every 
direction.  This  wonderful  discovery  that  messages  can 
be  sent  the  earth  round  without  visible  wires,  should  for- 
ever silence  those  who  have  been  incredulous  when 
thought  transference  through  a  like  ether  is  claimed. 
But  there  is  even  a  more  rapid  and  subtle  transmitter  of 
ideas  than  mental  vibrations,  and  that  is,  unity  with 
Supreme  Mind.  This  Mind  exists  as  the  Absolute — the 
Unlimited.  In  its  consciousness  there  is  no  apartness, 
no  separation,  and  whoever  puts  himself  in  that  con- 
sciousness can  accomplish  things  instantly. 

When  the  centurion  said  to  Jesus,  "Speak  the  word 
only,  and  my  servant  shall  be  healed,"  the  Master  said 
he  had  not  found  so  great  faith  in  all  Israel,  and  his  heal- 
ing Word  was,  "As  thou  hast  believed,  so  be  it  unto  thee." 
We  must  have  a  certain  amount  of  faith  in  the  substance 
of  the  invisible  and  its  ability  to  do  our  will.  When 
Peter  recognized  in  Jesus  that  inner  principle  called 
Christ  the  Son  of  God,  the  response  was,  "Flesh  and 
blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father 
which  is  in  Heaven."  The  Father  must  have  been  pres- 
ent to  Peter  as  he  was  to  Jesus,  and  the  "heaven,"  in 
which  Jesus  said  he  was,  must  also  have  been  there. 
The  fact  is.  Being  is  always  present.     It  is  mortal  igno- 


66  Lesson  Six 

ranee  and  laek  of  faith  that  prevents  our  realization  of 
this  truth.  The  more  we  believe  in  the  wisdom,  po^ver, 
substance,  love  and  life  of  the  One  Mind,  the  greater  is 
its  activity  in  us  and  our  affairs.  Not  only  should  we 
have  faith  in  the  All-Presence,  but  we  should  also  de- 
velop our  understanding  to  the  end  that  we  may  know 
why  this  is  so.  Physical  science  is  in  advance  today  of 
religion  in  its  recognition  of  a  universal  life,  substance 
and  intelligence.  Religion  is  looking  for  this  mighty 
Creator  away  off  in  some  distant  heaven,  right  in  the 
face  of  the  distinct  teaching  of  Jesus  Christ  that  God  is 
Spirit,  and  his  kingdom  is  within  man. 

But  physical  science  also  falls  short  in  its  failure  to 
recognize  the  unity  between  the  everywhere  Intelligence 
and  the  knowing  principle  in  man.  It  is  seeking  to  know 
intellectually,  or  from  the  plane  of  forms  and  shapes, 
that  which  is  of  the  mind.  Physical  science  has  estab- 
lished the  presence  of  the  creative  forces,  but  does  not 
know  the  power  that  moves  them.  Divine  Metaphysics 
has  discovered  the  moving  power  to  be  the  thought  and 
word  of  man,  and  is  proving  the  truth  in  results  in  a 
multitude  of  directions. 

The  spoken  word  carries  vibrations  through  the  uni- 
versal ether,  and  also  moves  the  intelligence  inherent  in 
every  form,  animate  or  inanimate.  It  has  but  very  recent- 
ly been  discovered  that  even  rocks  and  all  minerals  have 
life.  This  is  in  proof  of  the  omnipresence  of  the  One 
Animating  Substance.  Man,  being  the  highest  emanation 
of  Divine  Mind,  has  great  directive  power,  and  is  really 


The  Word  67 

co-operator  with  God  in  creating  the  Universe.  We 
should  be  speaking  words  of  truth  into  everything,  not 
only  to  mankind,  but  the  mineral,  vegetable  and  animal 
kingdoms.  The  fine  discernment  of  the  poet  has  recog- 
nized that  "the  very  stones  cry  out,"  where  a  tragedy 
has  occurred.  The  all-penetrating  ether  receives  our 
thoughts  and  words,  like  the  wax  cylinder  of  the  phono- 
graph, only  a  thousand  times  more  accurately,  and  pre- 
serves them  and  echoes  them  back  to  us  in  continuous 
vibrations.  There  are  no  secrets  and  no  concealments. 
What  you  think  and  speak  in  the  inner  chamber  is  pro- 
claimed on  the  house  tops,  said  Jesus,  and  now  we  know 
why  this  is  so.  The  very  walls  of  your  room,  aye,  even 
the  substance  of  the  atmosphere  in  that  room,  is  proclaim- 
ing over  and  over  the  words  you  have  spoken  there, 
whether  you  are  present  or  not. 

Not  long  ago  a  lady  rented  a  room  in  a  certain  city. 
Several  nights  in  succession,  just  as  she  fell  asleep,  she 
heard  a  man  talking  incoherently  about  the  grain  market. 
This  continued  for  some  time  and  she  mentioned  it  to 
the  landlady,  who  informed  her  that  the  room  had  been 
last  occupied  by  a  dealer  on  the  board  of  trade. 

This  Power  of  the  Word  is  given  man  to  use.  The 
better  he  understands  the  character  of  God  and  his  rela- 
tion to  humanity,  the  more  unselfishly  will  he  exercise 
this  power.  Because  some  are  using  it  in  selfish  ways 
should  not  deter  others  who  have  a  better  understanding 
of  the  law  from  using  it  in  righteous  ways.  "Ask  what- 
soever ye  will  in  my  name  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you," 


68  Lesson  Six 

is  an  invitation  none  should  ignore.  If  we  need  things, 
and  they  are  necessary  to  our  happiness,  it  is  not  sacri- 
legious to  get  them  in  God's  way,  and  thereby  strengthen 
our  faith  in  his  power.  In  a  letter  just  received  a  lady 
says: 

"Twice  in  my  life  I  have  consciously  used  the  law  for  a  set 
purpose  and  both  times  it  acted  perfectly,  and  scared  me  with 
its  promptness,  and  I  want  you  to  assure  me  that  it  is  right; 
it  savors  so  of  'necromancy,'  or  some  such  dark  practice, 
though  I  know  my  appeal  was  each  time  made  to  the  Higher 
Life,  and   reverently,  with  thanksgiving. 

"In  the  first  case,  I  came  home  from  'down  East'  to  find 
that  our  old  dog  had  an  innumerable  family  of  fleas,  which 
swarmed  the  house.  I  would  not  kill  them.  I  swept  and 
cleaned,  and  picking  individuals  up  I  put  them  out  doors 
with  directions  appropriate  to  their  nature,  but  still  they 
swarmed,  till  one  morning  I  was  trying  to  meditate  after 
bathing.  I  sat  down  on  the  side  of  my  bed  with  my  bare  feet 
on  the  floor.  Well,  I  can't  tell  you  how  many  fleas  began  to 
dance  on  my  feet;  certainly  a  number  amply  suflBcient  to 
bring  one  back  to  earth  with  a  thud,  however  deep  he  might 
have  sunk  in  contemplation.  It  certainly  had  a  rousing  effect 
on  me,  and  I  looked  at  them,  and  with  all  the  force  I  could 
command  demanded  of  The  One  freedom  from  this  disturbance 
of  my  devotions,  and  oh,  it  was  done!  From  that  day  to  this 
there  have  been  no  fleas  in  the  house.  They  went,  and  I  never 
thought  of  them  after  that  morning.  My  meditations  were  no 
longer  disturbed,  and  when  I  realized  what  I  had  done,  I 
was  awed  into  the  deepest  humility. 

"The  other  case  was  a  very  little  thing,  but  showed  the 
action  of  the  law  just  as  promptly.  I  had  a  finger  nail  which 
I  could  not  allow  to  grow  at  all  above  the  flesh  without  having 
it  split  and  tear  back  into  the  'quick'  catching  on  everything 
I  touched.    One  evening  when  it  had  been  particularly  annoy- 


The  Word  69 

ing,  I  held  it  up  before  me  and  talked  to  the  life  cells  com- 
posing it,  and  directed  them  to  seal  up  that  place  and  weave 
across  the  other  way,  telling  them  that  if  I  didn't  know  just  how 
they  were  to  do  it,  they  knew  and  must  work  accordingly. 
Afterward,  though  I  didn't  try  to  throw  it  out  of  my  mind,  I 
didn't  think  of  it  until  a  day  or  two  later  I  found  I  was  using 
that  forefinger  in  ways  that  I  had  before  guarded  it  from,  on 
account  of  the  split  nail,  and  on  taking  notice  of  it  found  that 
though  it  was  growing  some  distance  above  the  flesh,  it  was 
perfectly  whole  and  smooth.  It  is  now  the  best  looking  finger 
nail  on  my  hand." 

This  is  a  good  example  of  tlie  necessity  of  speaking 
the  Word  with  force  and  intensity,  that  is,  authority. 
The  I  AM,  Jesus,  speaks  in  us  as  "one  having  authority." 
Assume  the  power  and  it  is  made  evident  to  you. 

The  curses  of  the  witch,  and  the  blessings  of  the 
priests,  have  always  been  believed  in  by  so-called  igno- 
rant and  credulous  people.  In  the  light  of  modern 
revelation  the  charge  of  ignorance  should  be  shifted  to 
the  unbelieving.  The  word  of  one  in  authority  carries 
weight  and  produces  far-reaching  effects.  The  fiat  of 
the  physician  that  a  certain  disease  will  result  disas- 
trously to  the  patient,  is  believed,  and  acts  as  a  foil  to 
all  the  healing  forces  of  nature.  A  pin  scratch  has 
resulted  in  blood-poison,  because  the  word  of  fear  that 
such  a  result  might  follow  was  not  denied. 

Man  has  the  power  to  deny  and  dissolve  all  disin- 
tegrating, discordant  and  disease-forming  words.  This 
is  the  greatest  discovery  of  all  ages.  No  other  is  to  be 
compared  to  it.     You  can  make  yourself  a  new  creature, 


70  Lesson  Six 

and  build  the  world  about  you  to  your  highest  ideals. 
Do  not  fear,  but  speak  to  the  Law  Supreme  the  desires 
of  your  heart.  If  your  word  is  selfish,  that  which  comes 
to  you  through  its  use  will  be  unsatisfactory,  and  you 
will  profit  by  the  experience,  and  thus  learn  to  speak  the 
words  of  righteousness  only.  But  it  is  your  duty,  as  ex- 
presser  of  the  Divine  Law.  to  speak  forth  the  Logos,  the 
very  Word  of  God,  and  cause  the  Garden  of  Eden,  the 
everywhere  present  Mind  Substance,  to  manifest  its  in^ 
nate  perfection. 


THE    POWER   OF    WORDS 
(To  be  used  in  connection  with  Lesson  Six.) 

Death  and  life  are  in  the  power  of  the  tongue. 
Prov.  18:21. 

He  that  keepeth  his  mouth,  keepeth  his  life.  Prov. 
1S:3. 

Whoso  keepeth  his  mouth  and  his  tongue,  keepeth 
his  soul  from  troubles.     Prov.  21:  23. 

A  fool's  mouth  is  his  destruction,  and  his  lips  are  the 
snare  of  his  soul.     Prov.  18:  7. 

Seest  thou  a  man  that  is  hasty  in  his  words  ?  There 
is  more  hope  of  a  fool  than  of  him.     Prov.  29:  20. 

Pleasant  words  are  as  an  honeycomb,  sweet  to  the 
soul,  and  health  to  the  bones.     Prov.  16:24. 

The  wicked  is  snared  by  the  transgression  of  his 
lips.     Prov.  12:13. 


The  Word  71 

The  lips  of  the  wise  shall  preserve  them.  Prov. 
14:3. 

Put  away  from  thee  a  froward  mouth,  and  pcrversi 
lips  put  far  from  thee.     Prov.  4:24. 

Shun  profane  and  vain  babblings,  for  they  will  in 
crease  unto   more  ungodliness,  and   their   word   will   eat 
as  doth  a  canker.     II.  Tim.  2:16-17. 

He  that  will  love  life  and  see  good  days,  let  him 
refrain  his  tongue  from  evil,  and  his  lips  that  the\ 
speak  no  guile.     I.  Peter  3:10. 

To  him  that  ordereth  his  conversation  ;iri<ilit.  ^.vil 
I  show  the  salvation  of  God.     Psalms  50:23. 

I  will  take  heed  to  my  ways,  that  I  sin  not  with  in\ 
tongue:  I  will  keep  my  mouth  with  a  bridle,  while  th« 
wicked  is  before  me.     Psalms  39:1- 

What  man  is  he  that  desireth  life,  and  loveth  man\ 
days,  that  he  may  see  good?  Keep  thy  tongue  from 
evil  and  thy  lips  from  speaking  guile.    Psalms  34:  12-13. 

The  tongue  of  the  wise  is  health.     Prov.  12:18. 

Every   idle   word   that  men  shall   speak,  they   shai! 
give    account    thereof    in    the    day    of   judgment.      Matt 
12:36. 


LESSON    SEVEN 


SPIRITUALITY;    OR  PRAYER  AND   PRAISE 

I  HE  Bible  describes  man  in  his  wholeness — 
Spirit,  soul  and  body — in  a  multitude  of  sym- 
bols. These  symbols  are  men,  places,  tents, 
;emples,  etc.  The  name  of  every  person  mentioned  in  the 
Bible  has  a  meaning  representative  of  that  person's  char- 
acter. The  twelve  sons  of  Jacob  represent  the  twelve 
foundation  faculties  of  man.  The  name  of  each  of  these 
sons,  correctly  interpreted,  gives  the  development  and 
office  of  its  particular  faculty  as  a  trinity ;  that  is,  its 
relation  to  consciousness  in  Spirit,  in  soul  and  in  body. 
For  example,  when  the  sons  of  Jacob  were  born,  their 
mothers  revealed  the  character  of  the  faculty  which  they 
represented,  as  set  forth  in  the  29th  and  30th  chapters 
of  Genesis. 

It  is  written  of  the  birth  of  Reuben,  "Leah  con- 
ceived and  bare  a  son,  and  she  called  his  name  Reuben; 
for  she  said.  Surely  the  Lord  hath  looked  upon  my  af- 
fliction." The  emphasis  is  upon  the  word  "looked,"  and 
by  referring  to  the  Concordance  we  find  that  the  mean- 
ing of  the  name  Reuben  is,  "One  who  sees;  vision  of  the 
sun."  It  is  clear  that  this  refers  to  the  bringing  forth  of 
sight. 


Spirituality;   or  Prayer  and  Praise  73 

"And  she  conceived  again,  and  bare  a  son;  and  said, 
Because  the  Lord  hath  heard  that  I  was  hated."  Here 
the  emphasis  is  upon  the  word  "heard/'  and  we  find 
that  Simeon  means,  "That  hears  or  obeys;  that  is,  heard." 
This  is  the  bringing  forth  of  hearing. 

"And  she  conceived  again,  and  bare  a  son ;  and  said. 
Now  this  time  will  my  husband  be  joined  unto  me."  In 
this  case  the  emphasis  is  upon  the  word  ''joined."  Levi 
means  unity,  which  in  body  is  feeling ;  in  soul,  sympathy ; 
and  in  Spirit,  love.  So  each  of  these  twelve  faculties 
in  the  complete  man  functions  in  this  threefold  degree. 

What  is  here  described  as  the  twelve  sons  of  Jacob 
is  the  first,  or  natural  bringing  forth  of  the  faculties, 
which  arrive  at  a  higher  expression  in  the  twelve  disci- 
ples of  Jesus  Christ.  Simon  Peter  is  hearing  and  faith 
united.  John  is  feeling  and  love  joined.  When  we  be- 
lieve what  Ave  hear,  it  forms  in  us  the  Substance  of  the 
Word,  which  is  Peter,  a  rock,  a  sure  foundation.  "Faith 
Cometh  by  hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  Word  of  God." 

The  Bible  is  a  very  wonderful  book,  and  as  man 
develops  in  spiritual  understanding,  it  reveals  itself  to 
him,  and  he  sees  why  it  has  been  reverenced  and  called 
holy  by  the  people.  It  is  a  deep  exposition  of  mental 
laws,  and  of  the  physiology  of  the  body  in  its  true  estate ; 
that  is,  mind  in  action,  instead  of  mere  material  func- 
tions. But  above  all,  the  Bible  explains  the  spiritual 
character  of  man  and  the  laws  governing  his  relation  to 
God.  This  is  all  symbolically  set  forth  as  states  of  con- 
sciousness, illustrated  by  parables  and  allegories.     Paul 


74  Lesson  Seven 

says,  referring  to  the  history  of  Sarah  and  Abraham, 
"Which  things  are  an  allegory." — (Galatians  4:24.)  It 
is  written  of  Jesus  Christ,  "And  without  a  parable  spake 
he  not  unto  them,  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was 
spoken  by  the  prophet  saying,  I  will  open  my  mouth  in 
parables ;  I  will  utter  things  which  have  been  kept  secret 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world."  Jesus  Christ  was 
himself  a  parable,  and  his  life  an  allegory  of  the  experi- 
ences that  man  passes  through  in  development  from  nat- 
ural to  spiritual  consciousness.  Hence,  the  Bible  and  the 
prophets  can  be  understood  only  by  those  who  arrive 
mentally  at  the  same  place  that  the  writers  were  in  when 
they  gave  forth  their  message.  It  requires  the  same  in- 
spiration to  read  the  Scriptures  that  it  did  to  write  them. 

In  the  29th  chapter  of  Genesis  we  read  of  Jacob's 
wife  Leah,  "And  she  conceived  again,  and  bare  a  son: 
and  she  said,  Now  will  I  praise  the  Lord:  therefore  she 
called  his  name  Judah."  The  Hebrew  meaning  of  the 
word  "Judah"  is  praise.  In  the  Spirit,  praise,  or  prayer, 
the  Judah  faculty,  accumulates  ideas.  In  sense  con- 
sciousness this  faculty  is  called  acquisitiveness,  where  it 
accumulates  material  things,  and  when  self  is  dominant, 
"hath  a  devil."     This  is  Judas. 

Each  of  the  twelve  faculties  has  a  center  and  a  defi- 
nite place  of  expression  in  the  body.  Physiology  has 
designated  these  as  brain  and  nerve  centers.  Spiritual 
perception  reveals  them  to  be  aggregations  of  ideas, 
thoughts  and  words.  Thoughts  make  cells,  and  thoughts 
of  like  character  are  drawn  together  in  the  body  by  the 


Spirituality;   or  Prayer  and   Praise  75 

same  law  that  draws  into  assemblies  and  communities 
people  of  kindred  ideas.  The  head  is  the  center  of  the 
intellectual,  the  heart  the  affectional,  and  the  abdomen 
the  sensual  man.  These  are  subdivided  into  a  multitude 
of  functions  necessary  to  the  building  up  of  manifest  man 
as  he  is  idealized  in  Divine  Mind. 

At  the  very  apex  of  the  brain  is  a  ganglionic  center 
which  we  may  term  Reverence  or  Spirituality.  It  is  here 
that  man  holds  converse  with  the  intelligence  of  Divine 
Mind.  This  center  is  the  place  or  "upper  room,"  of  a 
spiritual  consciousness,  which  is  in  Scripture  designated 
as  Judah,  and  its  office  is  to  pray  and  praise.  This 
faculty  is  also  the  seat  of  action  of  that  mysterious  realm 
called  the  superconscious,  which  gives  all  thought  an  ele- 
vating, inspiring  quality.  All  lofty  ideals  come  from  this 
faculty,  and  it  is  the  inspiration  of  everything  that  ele- 
vates and  idealizes  in  religion,  poetry,  art,  and,  in  fact 
all  things  that  are  true  and  real.  Instead  of  a  supplica- 
tion, prayer  should  be  a  jubilant  thanksgiving.  It  quick- 
ens the  mind  far  better  than  a  tonic,  and  it  draws  like  a 
mighty  magnet  spiritual  qualities  that  are  expressed  in 
mind,  body  and  affairs. 

Spirituality  is  one  of  the  foundation  faculties  of  the 
mind.  It  is  that  consciousness  which  relates  man  directly 
to  the  P'ather-Mind.  It  is  quickened  and  enlarged 
through  prayer  and  all  forms  of  religious  thought  and 
worship.  When  we  pray  we  look  up  from  within,  not  be- 
cause God  is  off  in  the  sky,  but  because  this  spiritual 


76  Lesson  Seven 

center  in  the  top  of  the  head  becomes  active,  and  our  at- 
tention is  naturally  drawn  to  it. 

Prayer  is  natural  to  man,  and  should  be  cultivated  in 
order  to  round  out  his  character.  Prayer  is  the  language 
of  Spirituality,  and  when  developed  makes  man  master 
of  the  realm  of  creative  ideas.  In  order  to  get  results 
from  the  use  of  this  faculty,  right  thinking  should  be  ob- 
served here  as  v.^ell  as  elsewhere.  To  pray  believing  that 
the  prayer  may  or  may  not  be  answered,  at  the  will  of 
God,  is  missing  the  mark.  It  is  a  law  of  mind  that  every 
idea  is  fulfilled  as  soon  as  conceived,  and  this  law  is  true 
in  Spirituality,  hence  we  should  see  to  it  that  we,  as  Jesus 
said,  "Pray  believing  that  ye  have  received,  and  ye  shall 
receive."  In  the  light  of  mind  action,  this  injunction  is 
clear,  and  absolutely  necessary  to  the  unfailing  answer 
to  prayer.  If  we  pray  asking  for  future  fulfillment,  we 
form  that  kind  of  thought-structure  in  consciousness,  and 
our  prayers  are  always  waiting  for  that  future  fulfillment 
which  we  have  idealized.  If  we  pray  thinking  that  we 
do  not  deserve  the  things  we  ask  for,  these  untrue  and  in- 
definite thoughts  carry  themselves  out,  and  we  grow  to 
look  upon  prayer  with  doubt  and  suspicion.  This  is 
called  the  prayer  of  blind  faith,  but  evidently  it  is  not 
the  kind  that  Jesus  used,  because  his  prayers  were  an- 
swered. 

It  should  not  be  inferred  that  the  will  of  Divine 
Mind  is  to  be  set  aside  in  prayer;  we  can  pray  that  the 
will  of  God  enter  into  us  and  become  a  moving  factor. 
"Not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done,"  prayed  Jesus.     The 


Spirituality;  or  Prayer  and  Praise  77 

Father  does  not  take  from  us  our  wills,  but  gives  us  the 
utmost  freedom,  and  the  understanding  of  the  law  through 
which  we  can  make  any  condition  we  desire:  "Ask  what 
ye  will  in  my  name,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you/'  be- 
comes our  assurance. 

One  of  the  offices  of  Spirituality  is  to  aggregate 
ideas.  Through  it  man  can  draw  from  the  Universal 
Mind,  God  thoughts ;  that  is,  ideas  absolutely  true. 
Thus  prayer  is  cumulative;  it  accumulates  spiritual  Sub- 
stance and  Life  and  Intelligence,  everything  necessary 
to  man's  highest  expression.  When  we  pray  in  spiritual 
understanding,  this  highest  realm  of  mind  comes  in  touch 
with  the  Universal  and  Impersonal  Mind,  and  the  very 
mind  of  God  is  joined  to  the  mind  of  man.  God  answers 
our  prayers  in  ideas,  thoughts,  words,  which  are  trans- 
lated into  the  realms  without  in  time  and  condition.  It  is 
therefore  important  that  we  pray  with  understanding  of 
the  law,  and  always  give  thanks  that  our  prayers  have 
been  answered  and  fulfilled,  regardless  of  appearances. 
When  Jesus  multiplied  the  loaves  and  fishes,  he  prayed 
and  blessed  and  gave  thanks.  With  understanding  and 
realization  of  the  relation  between  the  idea  and  its  ful- 
fillment he  overcame  the  slow  processes  of  Nature,  and 
the  loaves  and  fishes  were  increased  quickly.  We  may 
not  be  able  to  at  once  attain  this  speedy  use  of  the  law, 
but  we  will  approximate  it,  and  accelerate  the  process  the 
nearer  we  hold  our  idea  to  the  perfection  of  the  realm 
of  ideas. 

Praise  is  closely  related  to  prayer,  and  is  one  of 


78  Lesson  Seven 

the  avenues  of  expression  of  Spirituality.  Whatever  we 
praise,  through  an  inherent  law  of  mind,  we  increase. 
The  whole  creation  responds  to  praise  and  is  glad. 
Animal  trainers  pet  and  reward  their  charges  with  deli- 
cacies for  acts  of  obedience;  children  glow  with  joy  and 
gladness  when  they  are  praised.  Even  flowers  grow 
better  for  those  who  love  them.  We  can  praise  our  own 
ability,  and  the  very  brain  cells  will  expand  and  in- 
crease in  capacity  and  intelligence  when  we  speak  words 
of  encouragement  and  appreciation  to  them. 

"Things  which  are  seen  were  not  made  of  things 
which  do  appear."  There  is  an  invisible  thought-stuff 
which  the  mind  lays  hold  of,  and  through  a  law,  not  yet 
fully  understood,  makes  things.  Every  thought  moves 
upon  this  invisible  substance  in  increasing  or  diminishing 
degree.  When  we  praise  the  richness  and  opulence  of  our 
God,  this  thought-stuff  is  tremendously  increased  in  our 
mental  atmosphere,  and  it  reflected  into  everything  our 
minds  and  hands  touch.  We  can  impregnate  with  it  the 
commonest  things  and  transform  them  to  the  pattern  of 
our  ideals.  A  failing  business  proposition  can,  through 
this  law  persistently  applied,  be  praised  right  into  a  suc- 
cessful one.  Even  inanimate  things  seem  to  receive  the 
word  of  praise,  and  go  smoothly  where  before  they  have 
been  contrary.  A  lady  used  this  law  on  her  sewing 
machine,  which  she  had  been  affirming  was  in  bad  order. 
She  says  it  gave  her  no  trouble  afterward.  A  linotype 
operator  testified  that  he  received  a  certain  spiritual 
treatment  given  him  by  a  healer  at  a  certain  hour,  and  his 


Spirituality;   or  Prayer  and  Praise  79 

linotype,  which  had  been  acting  badly,  immediately  fell 
into  harmonious  ways.  A  lady  living  in  a  country  town, 
had  a  rag  carpet  on  her  parlor  floor,  that  she  had  for 
years  hoped  might  be  replaced  by  a  Brussels  or  ingrain. 
She  heard  of  this  law  and  began  praising  the  old  carpet. 
Inside  of  two  weeks,  greatly  to  her  surprise,  she  was 
given  a  brand  new  carpet  from  an  unexpected  source. 
These  are  a  few  simple  illustrations  of  the  possibilities 
latent  in  praise.  Whether  the  inanimate  things  were 
changed,  or  the  attitude  of  the  individual  toward  them, 
does  not  matter,  so  long  as  the  desired  end  was  attained. 

That  which  you  want  to  increase,  whatever  it  may 
be,  praise  it.  Give  thanks  that  it  is  now  fulfilling  your 
ideal.  You  can  praise  yourself  from  weakness  to 
strength;  from  ignorance  to  intelligence;  from  poverty 
to  affluence;  from  sickness  to  health.  The  little  lad  with 
a  few  loaves  and  fishes  furnished  the  seed  that  increased, 
through  the  prayer  and  thanksgiving  of  Jesus,  sufficiently 
to  feed  five  thousand  people. 

If  we  do  not  get  answer  to  our  prayers,  it  is  because 
we  have  not  fully  complied  with  the  law.  "Ye  ask  and 
receive  not  because  ye  ask  amiss."  This  does  not  mean 
that  we  ask  of  the  Lord  things  we  do  not  need,  but  we 
miss  the  mark  in  the  method  of  asking — our  relation  to 
Divine  Mind  is  not  in  harmony  with  the  law,  and  the 
failure  is  not  in  God  but  in  us.  We  should  therefore 
never  be  discouraged,  but  like  Elijah,  persist  until  our 
prayers  are  answered. 

All  causes  that  bring  about  permanent  results  orig- 


80  Lesson  Seven 

inate  in  Spirit.  Spirituality,  Faith,  and  Love  are  God- 
given  faculties,  and  when  we  are  raised  in  consciousness 
to  their  plane,  they  naturally  act  under  a  spiritual  law 
which  we  may  not  comprehend.  There  is  a  Law  of 
Prayer,  which  man  will  eventually  recognize  and  apply 
as  he  now  does  the  laws  of  mathematics  or  music. 

Jesus  said,  "Ask  whatsoever  ye  will  in  my  name, 
and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you."  "In  his  name,"  means 
in  his  consciousness;  that  is,  the  Spiritual  or  Universal, 
instead  of  the  personal.  He  attained  a  unity  with  Di- 
vine Mind,  and  realized  that  his  thoughts  and  words 
were  not  from  himself,  but  from  God.  When  we  pray 
in  his  name,  we  enter  into  his  unity  with  the  Father  and 
have  the  same  consciousness. 

God  is  the  always-present,  Indwelling  Mind.  To 
realize  God,  we  must  quiet  our  outer  thoughts  and  enter 
into  the  stillness,  peace  and  harmony  of  Spirit.  "When 
thou  prayest,  enter  into  thy  closet,  and  when  thou  hast 
shut  thy  door  (outer  consciousness),  pray  to  thy  Father 
which  is  in  secret,  and  thy  Father  which  seeth  in  secret 
shall  reward  thee  openly."  If  we  make  proper  connec- 
tion with  Divine  Mind  in  this  kingdom  of  heaven  within 
us,  the  Father  will  surely  answer  our  prayers.  No  good 
thing  will  he  withhold  from  us  if  we  comply  with  the  law 
of  righteous  asking.     "Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  God." 


Spirituality;   or  Prayer  and  Praise  81 

LIVING   WORDS    TO   QUICKEN   SPIRITUALITY 

It    is    the    Spirit    that    quickens;    the    flesh    profits 
nothing. 

The  letter  killeth;  the  Spirit  maketh  alive. 

The  words  that  I  speak  unto  you  are  Spirit,  and 
they  are  life. 

Ye  must  be  born  from  above. 

I  am  the  light  of  the  world;  ye  are  the  light  of  the 
world. 

Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men  that  they  may 
see  your  good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father  in  heaven. 

I  am  the  Light  that  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh 
into  the  world. 

My  understanding  is  illumined  by  the  Spirit.     I  am 
the  light  of  my  consciousness. 

I  acknowledge  God  at  all  times  as  the  One  Source 
of  my  Understanding. 

Arise,  shine!  for  thy  light  is  come,  and  the  glory  of 
the  Lord  is  risen  upon  thee. 

The  glory  of  the  Lord  is  risen  upon  me,  and  I  walk 
in  the  light  of  life. 

My  body  is  the  temple  of  the  living  God,  and  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  fills  the  Temple. 

Christ  within  me  is  my  glory.  The  brightness  of 
his  Presence  casts  out  all  the  darkness  of  error,  and  my 
whole  body  is  full  of  light. 

He  that  loveth  his  brother  abideth  in  the  light,  and 
there  is  none  occasion  of  stumbling  in  him. 

The  Lord  is  my  light  and  my  salvation ;  whom  shall 


82  Lesson  Seven 

I  fear?     The  Lord  is  the  strength  of  my  life;  of  whom 
shall  I  be  afraid? 

Thy  light  shall  break  forth  as  the  morning  and  thy 
health  shall  spring  forth  speedily. 


ESTABLISHING   THE   PERFECT  SUBSTANCE 
(To  be  used  in  connection  with  Lesson  Seven.) 

So  God  created  man  in  his  own  image,  in  the  image 
of  God  created  he  him ;  male  and  female  created  he  them. 
Gen.  1:27. 

My  perfection  is  now  established  in  Divine  Mind. 

Be  ye  therefore  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  which 
is  in  heaven  is  perfect.  Matt.  5:48. 

By  seeing  perfection  in  all  things  I  help  to  make  it 
manifest.     "I  must  be  about  my  Father's  business." 

The  corruptible  flesh  is  changed  into  incorruption 
by  seeing  it  perfect  and  pure  in  Christ. 

I  am  the  image  and  glory  of  God.    I  Cor.  11:7. 

I  see  in  mind  that  perfect  character  which  I  desire 
to  be,  and  thus  plant  the  seed-thought  that  brings  forth 
the  perfect  man. 

But  we  all,  with  open  face  beholding  as  in  a  glass 
the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the  same  image 
from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord. 
IL  Cor.  3:18. 

When  Christ,  who  is  our  life,  shall  appear,  then 
shall  ye  also  appear  with  him  in  glory.    Col.  3  'A. 


Spirituality;  or  Prayer  and  Praise  83 

All  the  glory  and  riches  of  the  Father  are  poured 
out  upon  the  Son,  his  image  and  likeness,  which  I  am. 

"Thy  light  shall  break  forth  as  the  morning,  and 
thy  health  shall  spring  forth  speedily." 

I  inherit  from  my  Father,  God,  wholeness,  and 
there  is  no  longer  any  power  in  the  fleshly  thought  of 
disease  or  sickness.  A  well  of  life-giving  thought  is 
opened  within  me,  and  I  am  perpetually  renewed  in 
mind  and  body. 


LESSON    EIGHT 


FAITH 


|AITH  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for;  the 
evidence  of  things  not  seen.  Through  faith 
we  understand  that  the  worlds  were  framed  by 
the  Word  of  God,  so  that  things  which  are  seen  were  not 
made  of  things  which  do  appear. — Heb.  11:1. 

In  the  11th  chapter  of  Hebrews  Paul  piles  the 
achievements  of  faith  mountain  high.  "By  faith  Enoch 
was  translated  that  he  should  not  see  death.  By  faith 
Noah  prepared  an  ark  to  the  saving  of  his  house.  By 
faith  Abraham,  being  tried,  offered  up  Isaac.  By  faith 
Moses,  when  he  was  born,  was  hid  three  months  by  his 
parents.  By  faith  the  walls  of  Jericho  fell  down.  And 
what  shall  I  more  say?  for  the  time  will  fail  me  if  I 
tell  of  Gideon,  Barak,  Samson,  Jephthae;  of  David  and 
Samuel  and  the  prophets:  who  through  faith  subdued 
kingdoms,  wrought  righteousness,  obtained  promises, 
stopped  the  mouths  of  lions,  quenched  the  power  of  fire, 
escaped  the  edge  of  the  sword,  from  weakness  were  made 
strong,  waxed  mighty  in  war,  turned  to  flight  armies  of 
aliens,  and  women  received  their  dead  by  a  resurrection." 
The  idea  that  faith  is  something  that  has  to  do  only 
with  one's  religious  experience  is  incorrect.     Faith  is  a 


Faith  85 

faculty  of  the  mind  and  finds  its  most  perfect  expression 
in  the  spiritual  nature,  but  in  order  to  bring  out  the  whole 
character,  it  should  be  developed  in  all  its  phases.  That 
it  is  a  power  is  self-evident.  People  who  have  faith  in 
themselves  achieve  far  more  than  those  who  do  not  be- 
lieve in  their  ability.  We  call  this  innate  confidence, 
but  confidence  is  only  a  form  of  faith.  Belief  is  another 
of  faith's  expressions.  Jesus  apparently  made  no  distinc- 
tion between  faith  and  belief.  He  said,  "Believe  ye  that 
I  am  able  to  do  this?"  and  "Whosoever  shall  not  doubt 
in  his  heart,  but  shall  believe  that  what  he  saith  cometh 
to  pass,  he  shall  have  it."  In  an  analysis  of  the  constit- 
uent parts  of  man's  consciousness,  we  locate  belief  in 
the  mentality,  working  in  the  thought-realm,  without 
contact  with  the  more  interior  substance  of  the  Spirit, 
upon  which  true  faith  is  founded. 

Faith  is  in  Spirit  related  to  what  Paul  calls  sub- 
stance or  assurance.  Jesus  Christ  used  the  same  illustra- 
tion when  he  referred  to  Peter,  a  type  of  faith,  as  a  Rock 
upon  which  he  founded  his  church.  Faith  must,  then,  be 
in  Spirit  closely  allied  to  that  which  in  the  world  is  sub- 
stantial, enduring,  firm,  unyielding,  with  an  added  qual- 
ity of  power  to  do  and  bring  about  results  in  the  affairs 
of  those  who  cultivate  it. 

Like  the  other  faculties,  faith  has  a  center  through 
which  it  acts  and  expresses  outwardly  its  spiritual  pow- 
ers. Physiologists  call  this  center  the  pineal  gland,  and 
they  locate  it  in  the  upper  brain.  By  meditation  man 
lights  up  the  inner  mind  and  he  knows  more  tlian  can  be 


86  Lesson  Eight 

put  in  words.  Those  only  who  have  strengthened  these 
interior  faculties  can  appreciate  the  wonderful  unde- 
veloped possibilities  in  man.  The  physiologist  sees  the 
faculties  as  brain  cells;  the  psychologist,  as  thought- 
combinations,  but  the  spiritually-minded  beholds  them 
as  pure  ideas,  unrelated,   free,  all-potential. 

Faith  can  be  extended  in  consciousness  in  every 
direction  and  accomplish  wonderful  things  if  quickened 
and  allowed  free  expression  in  its  native  realm.  When 
Jesus  said,  "If  ye  have  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed, 
ye  shall  say  unto  this  mountain,  remove  hence  to  yonder 
place;  and  it  shall  remove;  and  nothing  shall  be  impos- 
sible unto  you,"  he  referred  to  faith  working  in  spiritual 
consciousness.  Such  results  are  possible  only  to  the 
faith  that  co-operates  with  Creative  Law.  Where  faith 
is  planted  in  outer  things  the  results  are  not  worthy  of 
mention.  Men  have  named  them  luck,  accident,  chance, 
etc.  They  seem  to  work  for  a  little  while,  then  suddenly 
change,  showing  that  they  are  not  under  any  enduring 
law. 

When  faith  is  reflected  in  the  intellectual  realm  the 
results  are  usually  profitable  to  the  man  of  brains.  If 
he  has  faith  in  his  art,  or  his  science,  or  his  philosophy, 
it  answers  his  purpose,  for  a  time  at  least.  But  here  it 
never  gets  beyond  the  traditions  and  experiences  of  pre- 
cedent. Intellectual  people  do  no  miracles  through  faith, 
because  they  always  limit  it  to  what  the  intellect  says  is 
law.  It  is  when  faith  is  exercised  deep  in  spiritual  con- 
sciousness that  it  finds  its  right  place,  and,  under  Divine 


Faith  87 

Law,  brings  results  seemingly  miraculous,  without  varia- 
tion or  disappointment. 

Faith  has  always  had  a  very  large  place  in  the  ex- 
periences of  religious  people,  because  they  have  given 
it  free  scope  and  expected  great  things  through  it  from 
the  Lord.  But  nearly  all  faith  demonstrations  have  been 
the  result  of  a  sort  of  blind  confidence  that  God  would 
carry  out  whatever  was  asked  him.  Sometimes  the  pe- 
titioner was  disappointed,  and  a  series  of  disappoint- 
ments usually  led  to  doubt  and  the  conclusion  that  God 
had  in  some  way  changed  his  law.  The  early  Christians 
were  taught  by  Jesus  and  his  disciples  to  have  faith  in 
God,  and  they  did  wonderful  and,  so-called,  miraculous 
works.  As  time  went  on,  and  their  attention  was  more 
and  more  drawn  to  worldly  things,  the  Christians  of  a 
later  day  became  separated  from  the  spiritual  forces 
within  and  their  faith  lost  its  energy.  Then  they  began 
teaching  that  miracles  were  no  longer  necessary ;  that 
God  had  given  them  to  the  early  Christians  because 
they  did  not  have  the  Bible  nor  an  organized  church. 
They  also  taught  that  the  miracles  were  given  to  prove 
that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God. 

Now  we  have  a  fuller  understanding  of  the  law  of 
God,  and  we  know  that  whatever  has  been  done  can  be 
done  again  under  like  conditions.  If  Jesus  and  his 
disciples,  and  the  early  Christians,  did  marvelous  things 
through  the  prayer  of  faith,  we  can  do  them.  All  that 
is  required  is  persistence  in  the  use  of  faith,  until  we 
make  connection  with   the  higher  realms  of  conscious- 


88  Lesson  Eight 

ness,  where,  as  Jesus  said,  though  our  faith  be  small  as 
the  smallest  of  seeds,  it  will  spring  forth  and  demon- 
strate its  power  to  carry  out  every  desire  that  we  put  into 
it.  ''Nothing  shall  be  impossible  unto  you"  if  your  faith 
is  in  Spirit  and  working  in  harmony  with  Divine  Mind. 

The  Christian  religion  has  been  a  great  factor  in 
the  development  of  faith  in  the  inner  realms  of  man's 
being.  ''Blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and  yet 
have  believed."  The  power  to  see  in  Spirit  is  peculiar 
to  faith.  In  its  outer  expression  it  is  sight:  interiorly  it 
is  that  which  perceives  the  reality  or  substance  of  Spirit. 
Mental  seeing  is  knowing;  as  when  a  certain  proposition 
is  presented  to  us,  and  we  perceive  its  truth,  we  say, 
"I  see,  I  see,"  meaning  that  we  mentally  discern. 

Faith  in  the  reality  of  things  spiritual  develops  the 
faith-center  in  the  brain,  called  the  pineal  gland.  When 
this  embryo  eye  is  illuminated  with  spiritual  faith  it 
sheds  a  radiance  like  a  halo  around  the  head,  which  ex- 
tends in  lessening  degree  throughout  the  whole  body. 
"If  thine  eye  be  single,  thy  whole  body  shall  be  full  of 
light."  The  halo,  which  the  early  artists  painted  around 
the  heads  of  saints,  was  not  imaginary,  but  real.  This 
illuminating  power  of  faith  covers  the  whole  constitution 
of  man,  and  makes  him  master  of  all  the  forces  centering 
about  spiritual  consciousness.  Faith  and  prayer  go  hand 
in  hand. 

"Hast  thou  faith.?  have  it  to  thyself  before  God. 
Happy  is  the  man  that  condemneth  not  himself  in  that 
thing  which  he  alloweth."     Have  faith  in  what  you  do, 


Faith  89 

and  after  it  is  done  do  not  condemn  yoiirself.  We  are 
all  seeking  happiness,  contentment,  and  we  know  by 
experience  that  we  are  happy  when  we  are  in  tune  with 
our  environment.  There  are  a  great  variety  of  ideas 
that  cause  us  inharmony.  We  think  that  if  we  have 
money  and  friends  we  can  be  happy;  but  it  is  not  things 
that  make  happiness.  It  is  our  mental  attitude  toward 
things  that  fixes  our  relation  to  them,  and  the  better  we 
understand  the  innate  substance  of  the  world  about  us 
the  more  do  we  appreciate  it. 

Faith  is  ever  active  and  should  be  the  true  substance 
of  every  idea.  We  must  have  faith  in  our  power,  capac- 
ity and  ability,  and  to  have  this  faith  our  thoughts  must 
be  centered  in  the  great  Universal  Mind.  Success  lies  in 
God.  Whatsoever  is  not  of  faith  is  sin ;  then  whatsoever 
is  of  faith  is  not  sin.  This  is  the  new  standard  of  right- 
eousness for  the  man  who  is  putting  on  Christ.  It  is  his 
breastplate,  his  protection  while  he  is  coming  up  into 
knowledge  of  the  Absolute  Good.  Sin  is  missing  the 
mark,  and  we  miss  it  by  not  having  faith. 

Faith  in  the  reality  of  the  forces  invisible,  called 
mental  and  spiritual,  is  absolutely  necessary  to  one  who 
expects  to  succeed  in  demonstrating  the  Higher  Law. 
Jesus  was  the  herald  of  a  set  of  laws  that  will  revolution- 
ize the  whole  civilization  of  this  world  and  produce  a 
new  and  higher  type  of  men.  He  called  this  new  con- 
dition for  the  uplift  of  the  race  the  "Kingdom  of 
Heaven,"  and  he  said  it  must  be  built  upon  the  founda- 
tion  typified  by   Peter    (a   rock),  which  is   faith.      The 


90  Lesson  Eight 

development  of  the  faith  faculty  in  the  mind  is  as  nec- 
essary to  the  worker  in  spiritual  principles  as  is  the 
development  of  the  mathematical  faculty  in  the  worker 
in  mathematics.  Neither  of  these  faculties  comes  at  a 
bound  fully  formed  into  consciousness,  but  both  grow  by 
cultivation.  "Increase  our  faith"  said  the  disciples,  and 
Jesus  answered,  "Have  faith  in  God." 

All  readers  of  Scripture  recognize  Peter  as  a  type 
of  faith,  and  we  may,  by  studying  his  experiences,  get 
hints  of  the  development  of  that  faculty  in  ourselves. 
The  fluctuating  allegiance  to  Jesus  of  Peter  illustrates 
the  growth  of  faith  in  one  who  has  had  no  develop- 
ment of  that  faculty.  Faith  and  doubt  contend  for  the 
supremacy  in  Peter  and  we  wonder  why  Jesus  should 
choose  as  his  chief  disciple  this  vacillating,  weak  and 
cowardly  fisherman.  Bue  we  observe  that  Peter  was 
enthusiastic,  and  bold  at  times,  and  also  receptive  and 
patient  under  reproof.  He  had  never  walked  on  the 
water,  but  when  Jesus  said  "come,"  he  boldly  went  out 
to  meet  him.  Doubt  was  dominant  and  he  sank,  but  the 
helping  hand  was  extended  to  him  and  he  was  made 
stronger  by  the  experience.  This  and  many  other  illus- 
trations in  the  history  of  Peter,  shows  how  faith  grows  in 
the  mind,  and  we  should  not  be  discouraged  if  our  first 
efforts  fall  short  of  the  desired  end. 

A  very  little  faith  often  produces  surprising  results 
The  forces  invisible  are  much  closer  than  we  think,  and 
when  we  turn  our  attention  in  that  direction  the  response 
is  usually  so  pronounced  and  so  swift  that  we  cannot 


Faith  91 

but  feel  that  a  miracle  has  been  performed,  A  more 
intimate  acquaintance  with  the  Divine  Law  convinces 
us  that  all  things  are  possible  under  it  if  we  only  believe, 
and  at  the  same  time  conform  our  thoughts  to  its  prin- 
ciple. 

Peter,  (faith)  James  (understanding)  and  John 
(love)  were  the  three  disciples  who  were  very  close  to 
Jesus  and  they  are  more  prominent  in  his  history  than 
the  others.  This  indicates  that  these  three  faculties  are 
developed  in  advance  of  the  others,  also  that  they  are 
closely  associated.  Understanding  reveals  to  us  that 
God  is  a  Mind  Principle  whose  foundation  is  ideas. 
When  this  relation  of  the  Creative  Principle  dawns  upon 
us  we  see  how  easy  it  is  to  commune  with  God.  Through 
this  communion  we  almost  unconsciously  strengthen 
Faith,  and  we  find  that  one  faculty  helps  another  to 
grow.  But  there  must  be  room  in  which  to  grow  and 
this  is  made  by  Love.  Selfishness  is  limitation  and  it 
binds  man  in  a  little  prison  called  personality.  The 
only  way  to  enlarge  the  character  and  give  play  to  all  the 
faculties  is  through  love.  Love  enlarges  the  field  of 
consciousness  by  leveling  the  thoughts  of  enmity  and 
opposition.  Make  friends  with  all  your  adversaries 
quickly,  whether  they  be  persons,  thoughts  or  things. 

We  are  constantly  making  conditions  through  our 
thoughts.  Some  people  declare  that  everything  is  against 
them.  If  they  miss  a  car  they  say,  "It  is  always  the 
way."  and  they  build  up  that  state  of  mind  and  every- 
thing seems  contrary  to  them. 


92  Lesson  Eight 

In  all  of  our  lives  we  should  condemn  nothing  that 
comes  to  us  and  nothing  that  we  do.  We  know  the  law ; 
let  us  keep  it,  and  not  set  up  any  adverse  conditions  by 
our  thoughts  of  condemnation.  Whatever  you  are  doing, 
be  happy  in  it.  If  you  are  getting  wrong  results  do  not 
believe  in  an  angry  God.  You  are  getting  the  result  of 
your  acts  according  to  your  faith.  Be  wise;  pronounce 
nothing  evil,  and  only  good  wiU  come.  Shall  we  call 
everything  good?  Yes.  If  the  savage  knew  this  law  he 
could  lift  himself  to  a  higher  consciousness  by  it.  We  get 
out  of  savagery  by  seeing  good. 

Have  faith  in  the  innate  goodness  of  all  men  and 
all  conditions.  Do  not  condemn,  no  matter  how  great 
the  provocation.  What  you  think,  you  create  in  your 
own  consciousness.  Enlarge  your  range  of  vision  and 
you  may  see  good  in  what  now  seems  evil.  God  is  good 
and  God  is  all,  hence  there  can  be  no  real  condition  but 
the  good.  Why  should  we  waste  our  time  fighting  the 
evil?  If  we  build  our  character  upon  Faith,  Understand- 
ing and  Love,  with  the  great  I  am  as  the  focal  center, 
we  shall  become  pillars  in  the  Temple  of  God. 


Faith  93 

FAITH   AFFIRMATIONS 
(To  be  used  in  connection  with  Lesson  Eight.) 

"Now  faith  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for, 
the  evidence  of  things  not  seen." 

Holding  continuously  to  the  reality  of  things  spirit- 
ual establishes  them  in  mind — they  become  mental  sub- 
stance. 

I  believe  in  the  presence  and  power  of  the  One 
Mind,  and  it  is  to  me  Substantial  Intelligence. 

"According  to  your  faith  be  it  unto  you." 

My  doubts  and  fears  are  dissolved  and  dissipated, 
and  I  rest  in  confidence  and  peace  in  thy  Unchange- 
able Law. 

''Great  is  thy  faith;  be  it  unto  thee  even  as  thou 
wUt." 

With  my  mind's  eye  I  see  more  and  more  the  reality 
of  the  True  Ideas  ever  existing  in  Divine  Principle. 

"I  believe;  help  thou  mine  unbelief." 

Jesus  said,  "Have  faith  in  God." 

I  am  saved  from  pain  and  sorrow  through  my  un- 
swerving faith  in  the  protection  and  care  of  God. 

"Lord,  increase  our  faith." 

My  faith  grows  greater  day  by  day,  because  it  is 
planted  in  Truth,  and  through  it  all  the  mountains  of 
mortal  error  are  moved  into  the  sea  of  nothingness. 

"Thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole;  go  thy  way." 


LESSON    NINE 


IMAGINATION 

[HE  teaching  about  the  things  of  the  Spirit  is 
said  to  be  mystical.  The  reason  of  this  is  that 
man  has  not  come  into  consciousness  of  the 
many  faculties  necessary  to  comprehend  Spirit.  Victor 
Hugo  said,  "There  are  no  occult  or  hidden  truths ;  every- 
thing is  luminous  with  mind."  So  we  find  in  the  study 
of  Truth  that  what  is  called  mysterious  and  occult  is 
simply  a  range  of  facts  that  man  has  not  yet  explored. 
When  he  expands  his  mind  and  takes  in  a  larger  horizon, 
he  sees  the  relation  of  a  multitude  of  hitherto  unknown 
laws,  which,  from  his  limited  viewpoint,  have  seemed 
mysterious. 

Mind  manifests  through  faculties,  and  in  order  to 
comprehend  largely,  there  must  be  an  increase  of  these 
avenues.  That  man  has  latent  possibilities  goes  with- 
out argument,  and  that  there  is  a  limit  to  the  ability 
of  the  mind,  is  unthinkable.  What  a  man  imagines  he  can 
do,  that  he  can  do.  It  is  a  question  of  getting  about 
it  in  the  right  way.  To  allow  the  imagination  to  drift 
in  day-dreams  never  brings  anything  to  pass.  Ideas 
must  be  worked  up  into  living,  breathing,  thinking 
things.     Man  can  compress  into  visibility  his   vagrant 


Imagination  95 

ideas  as  the  chemist  liquifies  and  makes  visible  the  in- 
tangible atmosphere;  but  to  do  this  he  must,  like  that 
chemist,  have  the  machinery. 

Physiology  says  that  to  think,  man  must  have 
brains.  However,  thinking  is  not  limited  to  material 
cells,  but,  like  everything  in  the  universe,  has  a  wide 
range  of  expression.  There  are  brains  within  brains, 
and  cells  within  cells.  All  through  the  body  are  brain- 
centers  whose  office  has  not  yet  been  determined.  Very 
recent  discoveries  in  psychology  show  that  these  nerve 
centers  are  acted  upon  by  invisible  forces.  Psychology 
teaches  that  man  has  what  is  called  a  subconscious  mind 
that  transcends  in  knowledge  and  ability  his  conscious 
mind,  A  still  higher  teaching,  that  of  Jesus  Christ,  is 
that  man  has  a  mind  called  the  Lord,  that  transcends  both 
the  conscious  and  the  subconscious.  Yet  the  harmonious 
working  in  unity  of  these  seemingly  three  minds  is  neces- 
sary to  the  bringing  forth  of  the  latent  possibilities  of 
the  man. 

In  Truth  there  is  but  one  Mind,  in  which  all  things 
exist.  Then  to  speak  accurately,  man  does  not  have 
three  minds,  nor  even  one  mind,  but  he  expresses  Mind 
in  a  multitude  of  ways.  To  believe  in  the  possession  of 
a  mind,  and  that  it  is  necessary  to  store  up  knowledge, 
makes  living  burdensome.  This  is  why  very  intellectual 
people  are  often  unpractical  and  unsuccessful;  they  have 
accumulated  more  knowledge  than  they  have  wisdom  and 
power  to  apply.  Like  the  miser  who  starves  surrounded 
by  his  gold,  these  perish  for  lack  of  real  understanding. 


96  Lesson  Nine 

Through  thinking  of  their  stored-up  knowledge  as  a  per- 
sonal possession,  it  has  become  insulated  from  the  origi- 
nal fount  of  wisdom  and  life,  and  is  in  consequence  stale 
and  forceless. 

There  is  in  man  that  which,  when  opened,  will  place 
him  in  direct  contact  with  Universal  Knowledge,  and  he 
can  instantly  and  continuously  draw  for  anything  he  may 
wish  to  know.  God  is  our  fount  of  wisdom  even  as  he  is 
our  source  of  supply.  The  understanding  of  the  Christ- 
Mind  reveals  that  man  of  himself  knows  nothing.  Jesus, 
who  developed  this  Higher  Consciousness,  claimed  that 
all  his  knowledge  and  power  came  direct  from  the  Father 
— "I  of  mine  own  self  can  do  nothing;  the  Father  with- 
in me,  he  doeth  the  works." 

All  that  man  really  needs  is  to  quicken  and  round 
out  the  thinking  centers  in  his  consciousness ;  then  the 
Divine  Mind  will  think  through  him.  This  Supreme 
Mind  holds  man  at  its  center  a  perfect  instrument 
through  which  to  express  its  possibilities.  The  writer 
of  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  says  that  man  is  the 
"image  and  likeness"  of  God.  He  is  the  I-am-age,  or 
the  identical  I  am  of  God-Mind  in  expression.  God 
looks  in  the  mirror  of  the  universe  and  sees  himself  as 
man;  he  gives  himself  to  man,  and  man  in  his  highest  is 
God  manifest.  "He  who  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the 
Father."  Thus  God  gives  to  his  image  the  power  to  ex- 
press all  that  he  is.  This  not  only  includes  man's  ability 
to  think,  but  also  the  power  to  shape  and  form  thought. 
This  formative  power  of  thought  requires  a  distinctive 


Imagination  97 

faculty^  which  is  called  the  "imagination."  The  mind 
makes  its  forms  as  women  make  biscuits.  First  is  the 
gathering  of  the  materials,  then  the  mixing,  then  the 
biscuit  cutting,  which  gives  shape  to  the  substance.  In 
thinking,  man  accumulates  a  mass  of  ideas  about  sub- 
stance and  life,  and  with  his  imagination  makes  them 
into  forms. 

Whatever  we  mirror  in  our  minds  becomes  a  liv- 
ing, active  thing,  and  through  it  we  are  connected  with 
the  world  about  us.  Every  thought,  through  this  imag- 
ing faculty,  makes  a  form,  and  a  multitude  of  thoughts 
make  a  multitude  of  forms.  These  crowd  in  upon  each 
other  around  the  central  I-am-age,  and  appear  in  what 
is  called  body.  Physiology  says  that  all  the  organs  of 
the  body  are  made  up  of  cells,  and  that  every  cell  bears 
the  form  and  character  of  its  particular  organ.  The 
liver  is  made  of  a  multitude  of  little  livers,  the  heart  of 
little  hearts,  etc.  The  starting  point  is  an  idea,  and 
through  the  mechanism  of  the  mind  (often  erroneously 
called  the  mechanism  of  the  body)  man  forms  his  organ- 
ism. With  this  key  one  can  unlock  the  door  of  his  tem- 
ple, and  in  mind  visit  all  its  various  rooms  and  set  the 
furniture  in  order. 

The  imagination  has  its  center  of  action  in  the  front 
brain  and  uses  what  phrenology  calls  the  perceptive  fac- 
ulties. It  is  really  the  author  of  these  faculties,  and  size, 
weight,  form,  color,  etc.,  are  its  children.  When  it  flashes 
its  light  into  the  cells  that  make  up  these  organs,  they 
at  once  respond  to  the  thought,  and  create  forms  out  of 


98  Lesson  Nine 

the  invisible  ether  corresponding  to  the  idea  the  imagina- 
tion holds.  If  this  idea  originates  in  Spirit,  the  creation 
is  harmonious  and  according  to  the  Law.  But  these  cen- 
ters are  so  sensitive  and  receptive  to  thought  that  they 
also  receive  impressions  from  without,  and  make  in  the 
ether,  forms  of  corresponding  character.  This  is  an  in- 
version of  the  Creative  Law,  which  is  that  all  creations 
shall  have  their  patterns  in  the  mind.  When  man  allows 
his  imagination  to  run  on  in  a  lawless  way  he  brings 
about  such  discord  in  mind  and  body  that  the  flood  of 
error  thought  submerges  his  understanding  and  he  is 
drowned  in  it.  "And  God  saw  that  the  wickedness  of 
man  was  great  in  the  earth,  and  that  every  imagination 
of  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  was  only  evil  continually." 
Gen.  6:5. 

"And,  behold,  I,  even  I,  do  bring  a  flood  of  waters 
upon  the  earth,  to  destroy  all  flesh." — Gen.  6:17. 

All  things,  including  the  mind,  work  from  center  to 
circumference.  A  knowledge  of  this  fact  puts  man  on 
his  guard,  and  he  directs  that  his  imagination  shall  not 
create  things  in  his  mind  which  have  been  impressed 
upon  him  from  without.  This  does  not  imply  that  the 
world  without  is  all  error,  and  all  that  appears  the  crea- 
tions of  mortal  mind,  but  that  it  is  not  a  safe  source  for 
patterns  from  which  to  make  the  members  of  the  body. 
When  Moses  was  instructed  by  the  Lord  to  furnish  the 
tabernacle,  the  command  was,  "See  that  thou  make  all 
things  according  to  the  pattern  showed  to  thee  in  the 
mount."     "The  mount"  is  the  place  of  high  understand- 


Imagination  99 

ing  in  Mind,  which  Jesus  called  the  kingdom  of  God 
within.  The  wise  metaphysician  always  resolves  every 
mental  picture,  and  all  forms  and  shapes  of  every  kind 
seen  in  visions,  dreams,  etc.,  into  ideas.  The  idea  is  the 
foundation,  the  real,  which,  understood  and  molded  by 
the  power  of  the  Word,  can  create  or  re-create  the  form 
at  the  direction  of  the  individual  I  am.  This  simple  law 
developed  to  a  certain  degree  makes  man  an  adept  or 
master.  Through  handling  the  cause  of  things,  he  at- 
tains the  mastery  over  things,  and  instead  of  giving  up  to 
his  emotions  and  feelings,  he  controls  them.  Instead  of 
letting  his  imagination  run  riot,  conjuring  up  all  sorts  of 
situations,  he  holds  it  steady  to  a  certain  set  of  ideas 
which  he  wants  brought  forth.  "Thou  wilt  keep  him  in 
perfect  peace  whose  imagination  is  stayed  on  thee." — 
Isaiah  26:3  (margin). 

As  man  develops  in  understanding  his  imagination 
is  first  of  the  latent  faculties  to  quicken.  Esau  repre- 
sents the  natural  man,  and  Jacob  a  new  and  higher  con- 
cept of  man  supplanting  him.  Hence  Jacob  is  called  the 
"supplanter."  Historically,  he  seems  a  trickster,  taking 
advantage  of  those  of  less  wisdom,  but  this  is  merely  to 
show  how  the  higher  principle  appropriates  the  good 
everywhere.  Imagination  was  the  leading  faculty  in 
Jacob's  mind.  He  dreamed  of  a  ladder  reaching  from 
earth  to  heaven,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  de- 
scending upon  it.  This  is  a  prophecy  of  the  union  of 
the  ideal  and  its  manifestations,  or  the  Spirit  and  the 
body,  through  the  pure  thoughts  of  the  Absolute,  repre- 


100  Lesson  Ninb 

sented  by  the  angels.  Farther  along  in  his  development, 
Jacob  awakened  all  of  his  faculties,  represented  by  his 
twelve  sons.  Joseph  was  a  dreamer,  and  an  interpreter 
of  dreams.  He  was  the  favorite  Son  of  Jacob,  the  I  am, 
who  gave  him  a  coat  of  many  colors.  This  is  all  repre- 
sentative of  the  imaginative  faculty  which  Joseph  typi- 
fies. 

The  history  of  Joseph  is  the  history  of  every  man's 
imagination  when  developed  under  the  Divine  Law.    His 
dreams  were  messages  from  God,  and  God  interpreted 
them  for  him,  and  his  life  is  the  most  interesting  and  fas- 
cinating romance  in  the  Bible.     At  its  inception  the  way 
of  Joseph  was  thorny,  but  through  his  obedience  to  the 
Spirit,  he  reached  the  highest  place  in  the  king's  domain. 
This  shows  that  man  begins  the  development  of  the  imag- 
ination in  the  darkness  of  materiality  and  the  depths  of 
ignorance,  represented  by  Joseph  cast  into  the  pit  and 
sold  into  Egypt.     Through  spiritual  understanding,  that 
"dreamer"  becomes  the  most  practical  son  of  the  family, 
and,  by  following  his  dream  interpretations,  multitudes 
are  saved   from  starvation.     The  individual  application 
of  this  is,  having  our  attention  fixed  on  Spirit,  we  dis- 
cern the   ebb   and   flow   of  the   forces   in   the  organism, 
and  we  know  how  to  conserve  and  husband  our  resources. 
Instead  of  treating  the  visions  of  the  night  as  idle 
dreams,  we  should  inquire  into  them,  and  seek  to  know 
the   cause    and   the   meaning   of   every   mental   picture. 
Every  dream  has  origin  in  thought,  and  every  thought 
makes  a  mind-picture.     The  study  of  dreams  and  visions 


Imagination  101 

is  an  imiiortant  one,  because  it  is  through  these  mental 
pictures  that  the  Lord  communicates  with  man  in  a  cer- 
tain stage  of  his  unfoldment.  Solomon  was  instructed 
in  dreams.  "In  Gibeon  the  Lord  appeared  to  Solomon 
in  a  dream  by  night:  And  God  said,  Ask  what  I  shall 
give  thee."  In  Job  33:15-16,  we  read,  "In  a  dream,  in 
a  vision  of  the  night,  when  deep  sleep  falleth  upon  men, 
in  slumberings  upon  the  bed ;  then  he  openeth  the  ears  of 
men,  and  sealeth  their  instruction."  "Then  was  the  secret 
revealed  to  Daniel  in  a  vision  of  the  night."  Joseph,  the 
father  of  Jesus,  was  told  in  a  dream  to  take  the  young 
child  and  go  down  into  Egypt.  Peter  was  shown  his 
intolerance  in  a  vision,  and  Paul  was  obedient  to  the 
"heavenly  vision."  All  the  great  and  wise  in  every  age 
have  been  instructed  by  God  in  dreams  and  visions. 
"Where  there  is  no  vision  the  people  perish." — Prov. 
29:18. 

Every  form  and  thing,  whether  in  the  ether  or  the 
earth,  represents  some  idea  or  mental  attitude.  The 
idea  is  first  projected  into  the  invisible  ether,  and  after- 
ward formed  in  consciousness.  The  mind  of  man  sees 
all  things  through  thought  forms  made  by  the  imagina- 
tion. The  lover  idealizes  the  object  of  his  affection,  and 
is  often  disappointed  on  close  acquaintance.  We  are  al- 
ways creating  ideals  that  have  existence  alone  in  our 
minds.  A  true  story  is  told  of  a  sailor  who  went  on  a 
long  voyage  and  left  his  affianced  behind.  He  thought 
of  her  continuously,  and  often  saw  her  in  his  dreams. 
Finally  he  began  to  see  and  talk  to  her  in  his  waking 


102  Lesson  Nine 

state,  and  she  told  him  many  remarkable  things.  She 
said  it  was  her  soul  that  visited  him;  that  her  body  was 
in  her  English  home,  waiting  his  return.  After  some 
twenty  years  he  arrived  at  home,  expecting  to  find  his 
loved  one,  and  was  dumbfounded  to  learn  that  she  was 
married,  had  a  family  and  had  forgotten  him.  Out  of 
his  own  thought-substance  he  had  created  the  object  of 
his  affection,  and  she  had  faithfully  reflected  all  his 
thoughts  about  her. 

Through  the  power  of  the  imagination  we  impress 
upon  the  body  the  concepts  of  the  mind.  Birthmarks  have 
long  been  recognized  as  the  effect  of  the  mother's  mind, 
and  this  mental  sympathy  does  not  end  with  birth.  Here 
are  actual  occurrences:  A  lady  watching  her  little 
daughter  pass  through  a  heavy  iron  gate,  saw  it  swing  to, 
and  she  imagined  that  it  caught  and  crushed  the  little 
one's  fingers,  but  the  child  withdrew  her  fingers  be- 
fore the  gate  reached  them.  The  mother  felt  the  pain 
in  her  own  hand,  and  the  next  day  she  found  a  dark 
streak  across  her  fingers  where  she  imagined  the  child's 
were  crushed.  In  a  certain  secret  society  initiation,  the 
candidate  was  told  that  the  word  "coward"  was  to  be 
branded  upon  his  back  with  a  red-hot  iron.  A  piece  of 
ice  was  used  instead,  but  the  promised  brand  arose  in 
blistered  letters. 

So  we  could  cite  cases  without  number  to  prove  the 
power  of  the  imagination  in  forming  and  transforming 
the  body.  Also,  one  mind  can  suggest  to  another  and 
produce  any  desired  condition,  if  there  is  mental  recep- 


Imagination  103 

tivity.  This  can  be  done  most  effectively  through  the 
hypnotic  state,  but  hypnosis  is  not  always  necessary. 
Experiments  prove  that  we  are  constantly  suggesting  all 
sorts  of  things  to  one  another,  and  getting  results  accord- 
ing to  the  intensity  of  the  imagination.  Thus  disease  is 
reflected  into  susceptible  minds  by  people  merely  talking 
about  disease  as  an  awful  reality. 

A  man  can  imagine  he  has  some  evil  condition  in 
body  or  affairs,  and  through  this  law  build  it  up  until 
it  becomes  manifest.  On  the  other  hand,  he  can  use  the 
same  power  to  make  good  appear  on  every  side.  The 
marks  of  old  age  can  be  erased  from  the  body  by  mental- 
ly seeing  it  youthful.  If  you  want  to  be  healthy,  do  not 
imagine  so  vain  a  thing  as  weakness  and  decrepitude. 
Make  your  body  perfect  by  seeing  perfection  in  it.  The 
transient  patching  up  with  lotions  and  external  applica- 
tions is  foolish — the  work  must  be  a  mental  transforma- 
tion.    "Be  ye  transformed  by  the  renewing  your  mind." 

The  highest  and  best  work  of  the  imagination  is  in 
transforming  the  character.  Imagine  that  you  are  one 
with  the  Principle  of  Good  and  you  will  become  good. 
To  imagine  one's  self  perfect  fixes  the  ide.i  of  perfec- 
tion in  the  invisible  mind-substance,  and  all  its  forces  go 
at  once  to  work  to  bring  forth  that  perfection  i^aul 
saw  this  wonderful  law  at  work  in  character  turming 
through  imitating  Christ,  "But  we  all,  with  unveiled 
face  beholding  as  in  a  mirror  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are 
transformed  into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory, 
even  as  from  the  Lord  the  Spirit." 


104  Lesson  Nine 

PERFECTION    IN    FORM    ESTABLISHED 
(To  be  used  in  connection  with  Lesson  Nine.) 

I  see  my  countenance  in  its  divine  perfection  always. 

Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace  whose  imagi- 
nation is  stayed  on  thee. 

I  see  perfection  in  all  forms  and  shapes. 

His  Son  is  the  brightness  of  his  glory,  and  the  ex- 
press image  of  his  person. 

I  see  the  light  of  the  Christ-consciousness  always. 

I  am  formed  anew  every  day  in  my  mind  and  body. 

Be  ye  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  your  mind. 

My  spirit  is  quickened  in  Christ. 

In  a  dream,  in  a  vision  of  the  night,  he  openeth  the 
ears  of  men,  and  sealeth  their  instruction.     Job  33:15. 

I  know  the  reality  back  of  the  shadows. 


LESSON  TEN 


WILL   AND    UNDERSTANDING 

F   any  man   will  do  his   will,  he  shall  know  of 

the  doctrine." — John  7:17. 

Man  manifests  that  which  exists  eternally  in 
Being.  We  talk  about  the  faculties  of  man's  mind  as  if 
they  belonged  to  the  individual,  and  had  their  origin  in 
him.  Man  exists  in  the  One  Invisible  Mind.  He  may 
assume  to  have  a  mind  of  his  own,  but  his  origin  and 
destiny  are  in  that  Original  Mind. 

Primal  causes  are  complete,  finished,  absolute.  All 
that  man  manifests  has  its  origin  in  a  Cause  which  we 
name  Divine  Mind,  Spirit,  God.  This  being  true  in 
logic  and  intuition,  it  is  not  a  difficult  matter  to  arrive 
at  the  conclusion  that  the  manifestation  proves  the 
character  of  the  cause.  In  dealing  with  the  faculties  of 
man,  this  relation  between  them  and  the  One  Mind 
should  not  be  lost  sight  of.  There  is  but  One  Mind,  and 
that  Mind  cannot  be  separated  or  divided,  because,  like 
the  principle  of  mathematics,  it  is  indivisible.  All  that 
we  can  say  of  this  Mind  is  that  it  is  Absolute,  and  that 
all  its  manifestations  are  in  essence  like  unto  it.  This 
brings  us  to  the  true  estimate  of  man,  and  when  we  speak 
of  spiritual  man,  or  Christ-Man,  or  the  Son  of  God,  we 
refer  to  this  original  expression  of  Divine  Mind. 


106  Lesson  Ten 

In  analyzing  these  faculties,  and  establishing  their 
relation  in  the  individual  consciousness,  we  should  clear- 
ly understand  that  they  are  never  separated  from  their 
Principle,  the  Divine  Mind.  In  the  text  quoted  above, 
Jesus  refers  to  two  of  the  powers  of  man,  and  brings 
out  a  certain  phase  of  their  relation.  "Will"  and 
"know"  designate  what  we  term  the  WiU  and  the  Under- 
standing, faculties  of  mind.  These  powers  still  exist  in 
the  Mind  of  Being,  although  they  seem  to  have  been  ap- 
propriated by  the  individual  man,  and  appear  in  their 
expansion  and  growth  in  his  consciousness,  as  if  he  were 
their  source. 

Self-consciousness  is  like  an  eddy  in  the  ocean — 
all  the  elements  that  are  found  in  the  ocean  are  also 
found  in  the  eddy,  and  every  eddy  may  in  due  course 
receive  and  give  forth  all  that  is  in  the  ocean.  As  the 
will  of  God,  man  represents  I  am  identity.  This  is  self- 
consciousness,  freedom  to  act  without  dictation  of  any 
kind,  selfhood  without  consciousness  of  cause,  the  power 
to  make  or  break  without  limitation,  constructive  and 
destructive  ability  with  a  universe  of  workable  potential- 
ities. The  will  is  the  man.  Without  absolute  freedom 
of  will,  man  would  be  an  automaton.  If  his  will  were 
restricted  in  the  least  degree  on  any  side,  he  would  not 
be  perfectly  free.  But  we  know  that  God  is  the  Great 
Unlimited,  and  man,  his  "image  and  likeness,"  must  be 
of  the  same  character,  consequently  he  is  just  as  free  to 
act  in  fulfillment  of  his  desire,  as  is  God.  God  cannot 
interfere  with  man's  acts,  although  he  may  instruct  and 


Will  and  Understanding  107 

draw  him  through  love  away  from  error.  The  idea  that 
God  makes  man  do  certain  things  cannot  be  true  in  a 
single  instance,  because  if  it  were,  man  would  not  be 
a  free  agent.  If  God  interfered  with  man's  will  in  some 
things,  it  would  foUow  that  he  could  interfere  in  any 
and  all  things.  Logic  and  observation  clearly  reveal 
the  freedom  of  man  in  everything. 

Creative  thought  uses  the  will  to  build  up  indi- 
vidual consciousness.  The  Lord  God,  or  Jehovah  of 
Genesis,  is  in  the  original,  "I  will  be  what  I  will  to  be." 
Both  Jehovah  and  Jesus  mean,  in  mind,  I  am.  I  am 
is  man's  self-identity.  I  am  is  the  center  around  which 
man's  system  revolves.  When  the  I  am  is  established  in 
a  certain  understanding  of  its  Principle  it  is  guided  in 
its  acts,  and  they  are  in  harmony  with  Divine  Law.  This 
is  the  union  of  the  Will  and  Understanding.  In  the 
Scripture,  these  are  designated  as  Ephraim  and  Manas- 
seh,  sons  of  Joseph.  Their  allotment  in  the  Promised 
Land  was  joined,  indicating  that  these  faculties  work 
in  the  body  from  a  single  brain  center.  This  center  is 
in  the  forehead. 

The  will  should  never  be  retarded  in  its  development, 
but  strengthened  along  all  lines.  The  idea  of  breaking 
the  will  of  children  is  wholly  erroneous.  What  is  needed 
is  the  rounding  out  of  the  understanding,  which  joined  to 
.  the  will  makes  the  perfect  man.  The  idea  of  giving  up 
the  will  should  not  include  the  thought  of  weakening  it, 
or  causing  it  to  become  in  any  way  less,  but  that  it  may 
receive  instruction  and  become  obedient  thereto.    Do  not 


108  Lesson   Ten 

act  until  you  know  how  to  act.  "Look  before  you  leap." 
This  does  not  imply  that  one  shall  be  inactive  and  indefi- 
nite, waiting  for  understanding,  as  do  many  people  who 
are  afraid  to  act  because  they  may  possibly  do  the  wrong 
thing,  but  that  understanding  shall  be  quickened,  and 
the  will  strengthened  by  the  confidence  which  comes  to 
it  as  a  result  of  knowledge. 

To  strengthen  the  will,  and  at  the  same  time  disci- 
pline it  along  right  lines,  requires  an  understanding  noth- 
ing less  than  divine.  But  man  can  balance  his  will  and  his 
understanding,  and  when  he  does  this  he  will  always  do 
the  right  thing  at  the  right  time.  Nearly  every  mistake 
is  the  result  of  will  acting  without  the  co-operation  of 
its  brother,  understanding.  When  the  will  gets  in  the 
habit  of  acting  on  its  own  account,  man  becomes  emo- 
tional and  willful.  This  state  of  consciousness  leads  to 
all  kinds  of  bodily  discords.  Willfulness  makes  tense- 
ness, and  a  tense  mind  ties  in  knots  the  nerves,  muscles, 
and  tendons  of  the  whole  organism.  The  metaphysician 
observing  these  conditions,  treats  for  relaxation  of  will 
and  a  general  letting  go  of  the  whole  system.  The  uni- 
versal treatment  for  this  condition  given  by  Jesus  Christ 
is,  "Not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done."  This  causes  per- 
sonal will  to  "let  go"  and  a  unification  of  man's  will  with 
God's  will  to  take  place.  When  this  is  accomplished  all 
goes  well. 

Willful  people  often  complain  of  a  feeling  like  a 
tight  band  around  their  heads.  This  is  the  pressure  of 
thought-substance  which  the  will  has  laid  hold  of,  and 


Will  and  Understanding  109 

is  clinging  to  with  centripetal  force.  In  all  such  cases, 
and,  in  fact,  in  every  sense  of  pressure,  treat  against 
personal  willfulness  and  afl5rm  the  divine  freedom. 

Every  organ  of  the  body  is  affected  by  the  action  of 
the  will,  and  when  it  becomes  fixed  in  a  certain  attitude 
it  holds  the  whole  body  to  its  central  affirmation.  The 
determination  to  have  one's  own  way,  regardless  of  the 
rights  of  others,  stops  the  free  action  of  the  heart,  and  in 
sympathy  the  stomach  is  affected.  Such  people  seldom 
realize  that  they  have  a  set  determination  as  to  how 
things  shall  be  done  in  their  lives,  and  they  are  some- 
times slow  in  accepting  the  higher  understanding,  which 
is  necessary  to  untangle  the  mistakes  of  the  ignorant 
will.  Contrariness  is  another  name  for  perverted  will. 
An  idea  of  self  and  its  needs  takes  possession  of  the 
mind,  and  the  will  is  used  to  carry  out  this  short-sighted 
policy.  The  result  is  a  belittling  of  the  whole  man. 
People  who  are  contentious  for  their  personal  rights, 
place  themselves  in  bondage  to  material  conditions  and 
stop  spiritual  growth. 

How  shall  we  bring  to  bear  the  Divine  Will?  By 
understanding;  by  Universal  Wisdom;  by  affirming, 
"Not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done."  God  is  potential,  un- 
formed will;  man  is  manifest  God-will,  or  good-will. 
When  man  links  his  will  with  the  Principle  of  force  he 
has  superior  executive  capacity.  He  brings  forth 
swiftly  faculties,  that  under  the  slow  action  of  mortality, 
would  take  ages  to  develop. 

The  Understanding  is  that  in  man  which  compre- 


110  Lesson  Ten 

hends — takes  cognizance  of  and  compares  in  wisdom. 
Its  comparisons  are  not  made  in  the  realm  of  form,  but 
in  the  realm  of  ideas.  It  knows  how  to  accomplish 
things.  There  is  a  knowing  quality  in  Divine  Mind.  God 
is  Supreme  Knowing.  We  may  know  without  experience. 
The  human  family  has  learned  by  hard  knocks  that  expe- 
rience is  a  severe  schoolmaster.  In  the  allegory  of  Adam 
and  Eve,  we  have  a  picture  of  man  falling  under  the 
sway  of  the  serpent  and  choosing  to  learn  by  experience. 
One  of  the  esoteric  meanings  of  the  serpent  is 
"experience."  All  the  bitter  lessons  that  come  through 
blundering  ignorance  can  be  evaded  when  men  declare 
their  Divine  Understanding,  and  follow  the  Divine  guid- 
ance. 

For  all  willfulness,  the  treatment  should  be  affir- 
mations of  spiritual  understanding-  The  will  is  not  to 
be  broken,  but  disciplined.  The  absolute  freedom  of  the 
individual  must  be  maintained  at  all  hazards.  God  is 
the  One  Principle,  which  every  one  is  as  free  to  use  as  he 
is  the  principle  of  mathematics  or  music,  and  the  princi- 
ple never  interferes.  But  understanding  must  come,  if 
principles  are  to  be  rightly  applied.  Freedom  leads  to 
many  errors,  and  yet  liberty  is  a  part  of  man's  being,  and 
he  must  learn  that  the  freedom  of  the  Law  does  not  mean 
lust  and  license,  but  control  and  conservation. 

We  should  be  careful  not  to  enter  into  any  healing 
system  which  interferes  with  freedom.  Hypnotism  is 
not  real  healing.  Any  system  is  radically  wrong  that 
suppresses  the  will.     It  is  the  work  of  the  true  healer 


Will  and  Understanding  111 

to  instruct  the  patient,  to  show  cause  and  remedy  from 
the  viewpoint  of  spiritual  understanding.  All  other 
methods  are  temporary.  The  old  states  of  mind  will 
come  again  into  action  unless  the  causing  thought  is  un- 
covered and  removed.  A  man  may  have  a  paralyzed  arm 
through  selfish  desire  for  money,  and  though  he  may 
find  temporary  relief  in  mere  mental  suggestion  of 
health,  or  hypnotism,  he  will  never  get  permanent  heal- 
ing until  he  understands  the  Divine  Law  governing  pos- 
sessions, and  conforms  thereto. 

There  are  people  who  claim  they  are  being  spirit- 
ually developed  through  mediumship.  This  is  error. 
If  you  believe  you  are  under  the  control  of  another  will, 
and  give  up  to  it,  your  will  is  gradually  weakened, 
and  if  continued,  you  will  lose  control  entirely.  The 
will  must  be  strengthened  by  being  constantly  used  in 
Divine  Understanding.  Mesmerism  weakens  the  will. 
Spiritual  understanding  quickens  and  makes  alive.  God 
never  puts  anyone  to  sleep.  "Awake  thou  that  sleepest 
and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light." 

Never  say  "I  don't  know;"  "I  don't  understand." 
Claim  your  Christ  understanding  at  all  times,  and  de- 
clare, "I  am  not  under  any  spell  of  human  ignorance. 
I  am  one  with  Infinite  Understanding."  The  accumu- 
lation of  ignorance  through  association  with  ignorant 
minds  can  be  dissolved  by  the  Word.  You  may  know  by 
simply  holding  that  you  know.  This  is  not  egotism,  but 
spiritual  knowing.  When  you  declare  Divine  Under- 
standing, you  sometimes  meet  your  old  line  of  thought 


112  Lesson   Ten 

and  are  disappointed.  Right  then  continue  to  hold  for 
knowing.  Judge  not  by  appearances.  Do  not  act  until 
you  get  the  assurance;  and  if  you  keep  in  the  Spirit  by 
affirmation,  the  assurance  will  come.  Will  it  come  by 
voice.''  No;  you  know  through  the  faculty  of  intuition. 
Divine  knowing  is  direct  influx  of  mind  of  God  with 
mind  of  man.  Sometimes  we  are  taught  by  symbols, 
visions,  etc.,  but  this  is  only  one  way  the  Divine  Mind 
has  of  expressing  itself.  When  the  mind  deals  with 
God-ideals  it  asks  for  no  symbols,  visible  or  invisible,  but 
rests  on  pure  knowing.  It  was  in  this  consciousness  that 
Jesus  said:  "I  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  heard  me,  and 
I  know  that  thou  hearest  me  always." 

A  very  practical  application  of  the  Truth  about  the 
will  can  be  made  in  the  matter  of  self-control.  Those 
who  try  to  get  control  from  the  personal  will,  fall  short. 
We  should  be  free  to  express  all  that  we  are.  If  you 
are  afraid  of  any  force  within  you,  that  fear  leads  to 
suppression.  In  the  true  self-control,  the  will  and  the  un- 
derstanding both  play  a  part.  The  feelings  and  appetites 
and  passions  must  be  disciplined.  They  are  not  merely 
to  be  held  in  check  by  the  will,  but  they  are  to  be  lifted 
up  and  developed  through  the  Christ-Mind. 

The  problem  of  self-control  is  never  settled  until  all 
that  man  is  comes  in  touch  with  the  Divine  Will  and 
Understanding.  We  must  understand  all  of  our  forces 
before  we  can  establish  them  in  harmony.  This  over- 
coming is  easy,  if  you  go  about  it  in  the  right  way,  but 
if  you  try  to  take  dominion  through  will-force  and  sup- 


Will  and  Understanding  113 

pression  you  will  find  it  hard  and  will  never  accomplish 
any  permanent  results.  Get  your  I  am  centered  in  God, 
and  from  that  place  of  Truth  speak  true  words.  In 
this  way  you  will  gain  real  spiritual  mastery  and  raise 
your  will-consciousness   from  the  human  to  the  Divine. 

The  will  plays  the  leading  part  in  all  systems  of 
thought  concentration.  The  simple  statement,  "I  will 
to  be  well,"  gathers  the  forces  of  mind  and  body  about 
the  central  idea  of  wholeness,  and  the  will  holds  the 
center  just  as  long  as  the  I  am  continues  its  affirmation. 
No  one  ever  died  until  he  let  go  his  will,  and  thousands 
live  on  and  on  through  the  force  of  a  determined  will. 

The  "devil"  which  we  are  to  overcome  is  the  ad- 
verse will  which  seeks  to  master  man  in  the  without. 
This  "adversary"  troubles  us  because  we  strive  to  main- 
tain personal  freedom  instead  of  Divine  Guidance.  Self- 
confidence  is  a  virtue  when  founded  on  the  Truth  of 
Being,  but  when  it  arises  from  the  personal  conscious- 
ness, it  keeps  man  from  his  dominion.  Are  you  trying 
just  from  yourself  to  be  free  from  the  traditions  of  the 
outer  world,  or  are  you  resting  in  the  understanding  and 
assurance  that  you  are  the  Son  of  God?  To  know  your- 
self as  the  Son  of  God  is  to  overcome  the  "devil" — the 
personal  self.  The  "devil"  makes  you  believe  you  are  the 
son  of  the  flesh.  To  overcome  say,  "I  put  Satan  behind 
me  by  the  realization  that  God  is  my  Father.  I  am  cen- 
tered in  him,  and  all  things  are  under  his  dominion.  I 
live  in  the  Infinite  power  that  produces  all  self-control. 
I  have  no  necessity  for  controlling  people.     Events  and 


114  Lesson  Ten 

people  are  controlled  by  Law.  There  is  an  eternal  Law 
of  Justice.     I  am  one  with  that  Law,  and  rest  in  it." 

Among  the  disciples  of  Jesus,  Matthew  represents 
the  Will,  and  Thomas  the  Understanding.  Matthew  was 
the  tax-gatherer  who  sat  at  the  gate,  representing  the 
executive  part  of  the  government;  so  the  will  is  the  ex- 
ecutive faculty  of  the  mind,  and  carries  out  the  edicts  of 
the  I  AM.  All  thoughts  that  go  in  or  out  of  man's  con- 
sciousness pass  the  gate  at  which  sits  the  Will,  and  if 
that  Will  understands  its  office,  the  character  and  value 
of  every  thought  is  inquired  into,  and  a  certain  tribute 
exacted  for  the  benefit  of  the  whole  man. 

Thomas,  the  Understanding,  is  represented  as  under 
discipline ;  that  is,  not  yet  in  the  light  of  the  Spirit.  The 
Understanding,  in  its  first  steps  in  Truth,  wants  its  les- 
sons and  accompanying  demonstrations  to  be  couched  in 
terms  like  those  in  the  world  without.  When  the  Christ 
showed  himself  to  Thomas  he  said  he  would  not  believe 
unless  he  could  see  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  feel  the 
wound  in  his  side.  When  this  was  granted  and  the 
ocular  proof  given  him,  and  Jesus  had  said,  "Be  not 
faithless,  but  believing,"  Thomas  was  awakened  spirit- 
ually, and  answered,  "My  Lord,  and  my  God." 

Those  people  who  are  being  educated  in  Truth 
through  the  written  and  spoken  Word  will  finally  ar- 
rive at  that  place  where  the  true  light  from  the  Spirit 
will  dawn  upon  them,  and  they  will,  like  Thomas,  see 
with  spiritual  understanding,  and  have  proof  of  the  real- 
ity of  the  Christ-Mind. 


Will  and  Understanding  115 

THE   ESTABLISHMENT   OF   WILL   AND   UNDER- 
STANDING 
(To  be  used  in  connection  with  Lesson  Ten) 

My   Understanding  is  established  in  Divine  Mind. 

"You  shall  know  the  truth  and  the  truth  shall  make 
you  free." 

The  will  of  God  is  ever  uppermost  in  my  conscious- 
ness. 

"Not  my  will  but  thine  be  done." 

I  firmly  believe  in  the  Guiding  Intelligence  direct- 
ing all  my  thoughts. 

"There  is  a  Spirit  in  man,  and  the  inspiration  of 
the  Almighty  giveth  him  understanding." 

The  willfulness  and  stubbornness  of  the  flesh  has 
no  power  in  me.  I  am  obedient  unto  the  Spirit  and  re- 
ceptive to  all  its  secret  thoughts. 

"Not  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man, 
but  of  God." 

I  am  willing  to  change  my  mind. 

"Be  ye  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  your  mind." 

The  Christ  of  God  is  born  in  my  consciousness  and 
I  am  glorified  in  my  understanding. 


LESSON  ELEVEN 


JUDGMENT   AND   JUSTICE 

Judge  not  that  ye  be  not  judged.  For  with  what  judgment 
ye  judge,  ye  shall  be  judged:  and  with  what  measure  ye  mete, 
it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again. — Matt.  7:1-2. 

And  thou  shalt  put  in  the  breastplate  of  judgment  the 
Urim  and  the  Thummim;  and  they  shall  be  upon  Aaron's  heart, 
when  he  goeth  in  before  the  Lord:  and  Aaron  shall  bear  the 
judgment  of  the  children  of  Israel  upon  his  heart  before  the 
Lord  continually. — Exodus  28:30. 

"Urim  and  Thummim  (Lights  and  Perfections).  These 
were  the  sacred  symbols  (worn  upon  the  breastplate  of  the 
High  Priest,  upon  his  heart)  by  which  God  gave  oracular  re- 
sponses for  the  guidance  of  his  people  in  temporal  matters. 
What  they  were  is  unknown;  they  are  introduced  in  Exodus 
without  explanation,  as  if  familiar  to  the  Israelites  of  that  day. 
Modern  Egyptology  supplies  us  with  a  clue;  it  tells  us  that 
Egyptian  high  priests  in  every  town,  who  are  also  its  magis- 
trates, wore  round  their  necks  a  jeweled  gem  bearing  on  one 
side  the  image  of  Truth,  and  on  the  other  sometimes  that  of 
Justice,  sometimes  that  of  Light.  When  the  accused  was  ac- 
quitted, the  judge  held  out  the  image  for  him  to  kiss.  In  the 
final  judgment  Osiris  wears  around  his  neck  the  jeweled  Jus- 
tice and  Truth.  The  LXX.  translates  Urim  and  Thummin  by 
'Light  and  Truth.'  Some  scholars  suppose  that  they  were 
the  twelve  stones  of  the  breastplate;  others  that  they  were  two 
additional  stones  concealed  in  its  fold.  Josephus  adds  to  these 
the  two   sardonyx  buttons,  worn  on  the  shoulders,   which  he 


Judgment  and  Justice  117 

says  emitted  luminous  rays  when  the  response  was  favorable; 
but  the  precise  mode  in  which  the  oracles  were  given  is  lost  in 
obscurity." — Bible  Glossary  of  Antiquities. 

I  HE  Law  as  given  by  Moses  is  for  guidance  of 
man  in  the  evolution  of  his  faculties.  The 
figures,  personalities,  and  symbols  represent 
potentialities  developed  and  undeveloped  on  various 
planes  of  consciousness.  The  High  Priest  stands  for 
spiritual  man  officicating  between  God  and  mortal  man. 
The  breastplate  in  an  armor  protects  the  most  vital  parts, 
the  heart  being  the  center,  so  the  breastplate  of  the  High 
Priest  was  judgment,  worn  over  the  heart.  The  heart  is 
love,  the  affectional  consciousness  in  man,  and  may  be 
subject  to  the  force  of  weak  sympathy,  unless  balanced 
by  another  power  in  which  is  discrimination,  or  judg- 
ment. 

This  breastplate  had  on  it  twelve  precious  stones 
representing  the  twelve  tribes  of  Irsael,  which  clearly 
means  that  the  twelve  faculties  of  the  mind  must  be 
massed  at  this  great  brain  center,  the  Solar  Plexus,  and 
all  their  intelligence  brought  into  play  in  the  final  judg- 
ments of  the  mind.  The  Urim  and  Thummin  ("Lights 
and  Perfections"),  under  the  Egyptian  symbology 
"Truth  and  Justice,"  are  the  oracular  edicts  of  Divine 
Mind  which  are  intuitively  expressed  as  a  logical  sequence 
of  the  Divine  Principle,  Truth  and  Justice. 

A  modern  metaphysician  would  interpret  all  this  as 
the   omnipresence   of   Divine   Mind   in   its   perfect   idea, 


118  Lesson    Eleven 

Christ.  The  Truth  is  ready  at  all  times  to  give  judg- 
ment and  justice.  As  God  is  Love,  so  God  is  Justice. 
These  are  in  Divine  Mind  in  unity,  but  are  made  mani- 
fest in  man's  consciousness  too  often  in  diversity.  It  is 
through  the  Christ-Mind  in  the  heart  that  they  are  uni- 
fied. When  justice  and  love  meet  at  the  heart  center, 
there  is  balance,  poise,  and  righteousness.  When  judg- 
ment is  divorced  from  love,  and  works  from  the  head 
alone,  there  goes  forth  the  human  cry  for  justice,  for 
man  is  hard  and  heartless  in  his  mere  human  judgment; 
punishment  is  meted  out  without  consideration  of  motive 
or  cause,  and  justice  goes  awry. 

Good  judgment,  like  every  other  faculty  of  the 
mind,  is  developed  from  the  Principle,  and  in  its  perfec- 
tion is  expressed  through  man's  mind  with  all  of  its  ab- 
solute relations  uncurtailed.  Man  has  the  right  con- 
cept of  Judgment,  and  ideally  the  judges  of  our  courts 
have  that  unbiased  and  unprejudiced  discrimination 
which  ever  exists  in  the  Absolute.  A  prejudiced  judge  is 
abhorred,  and  one  who  allows  himself  to  be  moved  by  his 
sympathies  is  not  considered  safe. 

The  metaphysician  finds  it  necessary  to  place  his 
judgment  in  the  Absolute  in  order  to  demonstrate  its 
supreme  power.  This  is  accomplished  by  first  declaring 
that  one's  judgment  is  spiritual  and  not  material;  that 
its  origin  is  in  God,  and  that  all  its  conclusions  are  based 
in  Truth,  and  are  absolutely  free  from  prejudice,  false 
sympathy,  or  mortal  ignorance.  This  gives  a  working 
center  from  which  the  ego  or  I  am  begins  to  set  in  order 


Judgment  and  Justice  119 

its  own  thought-world.  The  habit  of  jud  i;ing  others  even 
in  the  most  insignificant  matters  of  daily  life  must  be 
discontinued.  "Judge  not  lest  ye  be  judged,"  said  Jesus. 
This  law  works  out  in  a  multitude  of  directions,  and  if 
we  do  not  observe  it  in  small  things,  we  shall  find  our- 
selves failing  in  large. 

Judging  from  the  plane  of  the  mortal  leads  right 
into  condemnation,  and  condemnation  is  always  followed 
by  affixing  a  penalty.  We  see  faults  in  others,  and 
pass  judgment  upon  them  without  considering  motives  or 
circumstances.  Our  judgment  is  often  biased  and  preju- 
diced; yet  we  do  not  hesitate  to  think  of  some  form  of 
punishment  to  be  meted  out  to  the  guilty  one.  He  may 
be  guilty  or  not  guilty ;  his  guilt  or  innocence  rests  in  the 
Divine  Law,  and  we  have  no  right  to  pass  judgment.  In 
our  ignorance,  we  are  creating  thought  forces  that  will 
react  upon  us.  "As  ye  judge  ye  shall  be  judged." 
"With  what  measure  ye  mete,  it  shall  be  measured  to  you 
again."  Whatever  thought  you  send  out,  will  come  back 
to  you.  This  is  an  unchangeable  law  of  thought  action.  A 
man  may  be  just  in  all  his  dealings,  yet  condemn  others 
for  their  injustice,  and  that  thought  will  bring  him  into 
unjust  conditions;  so  it  is  not  safe  to  judge  except  in 
the  Absolute.  Jesus  said  that  he  judged  no  man  on  his 
own  account,  but  in  the  Father;  that  is,  the  Principle. 
This  must  be  the  stand  which  every  one  shall  take — rest- 
ing judgment  of  others  in  the  Absolute.  When  this  is 
done,  the  tendency  to  condemn  will  grow  less  and  less 
until  man,  seeing  his  fellowman  as  God  sees  him,  will 


120  Lesson    Eleven 

leave  him  to  the  Law  of  the  Absolute  in  all  cases  where 
he  seems  unjust. 

The  great  judgment  day  of  Scripture  indicates  a 
time  of  separation  between  the  true  and  the  false.  There 
is  no  warrant  for  the  belief  that  God  sends  man  to  ever- 
lasting punishment.  Modern  interpreters  of  the  Scrip- 
ture say  that  the  "hell-fire"  referred  to  by  Jesus  means 
simply  a  state  in  which  purification  is  taking  place. 

The  word  "hell"  is  not  translated  with  clearness 
sufficient  to  represent  the  various  meanings  of  the  word 
in  the  original  language.  There  are  three  words  from 
which  hell  is  derived:  sheol,  "the  unseen  state;"  hades, 
"the  unseen  world,"  and  gehenna,  "Valley  of  Hinnom." 
These  are  used  in  various  relations,  nearly  all  of  them 
allegorical.  In  a  sermon  Archdeacon  Farrar  said: 
"There  would  be  the  proper  teaching  about  hell  if  we 
calmly  and  deliberately  erased  from  our  English  Bibles 
the  three  words,  'damnation,  hell,  and  everlasting.'  Yet 
I  say  unhesitatingly — I  say,  claiming  the  fullest  right  to 
speak  with  the  authority  of  knowledge,  that  not  one  of 
those  words  ought  to  stand  any  longer  in  our  English 
Bible,  for  in  our  present  acceptation  of  them,  they  are 
simply  mistranslations."  This  corroborates  the  meta- 
physical interpretation  of  Scripture,  and  sustains  the 
truth  that  hell  is  a  figure  of  speech  which  represents  a 
corrective  state  of  mind.  When  error  has  reached  its 
limit,  the  retro-active  law  asserts  itself,  and  judgment, 
being  part  of  that  law,  brings  the  penalty  upon  the  trans- 
gressor.    This  penalty  is  not  punishment,  but  discipline, 


Judgment  and  Justice  121 

and  if  the  transgressor  is  repentant  and  obedient,  he  is 
forgiven.  Under  our  civil  law,  criminals  are  confined  in 
penitentiaries  where  order,  regular  habits,  and  industry 
are  inculcated,  and  that  which  seems  punishment  proves 
to  be  educational.  Men  are  everywhere  calling  for 
broader  educational  methods  in  our  prisons,  which  is  an 
acknowledgment  of  the  necessity  of  purification  through 
discipline  and  training  in  morals.  This  is  the  penalty 
taught  by  Jesus — the  judgment  passed  upon  sinners — 
the  fire  of  hell.  When  it  is  received  in  the  right  spirit 
this  fire  burns  up  the  dross  in  character  and  purifies 
mind  and  body. 

Metaphysicians  have  discovered  that  there  is  a  cer- 
tain relation  between  the  functions  and  organs  of  the 
body  and  the  ideas  in  the  mind.  The  liver  seems  to  be 
connected  with  mental  discrimination,  and  whenever  man 
gets  very  active  along  the  line  of  judgment,  and  espe- 
cially where  condemnation  enters  in,  there  is  disturbance 
of  some  kind  in  that  part  of  the  organism.  A  habit  of 
judging  others  with  severity  and  fixing  in  one's  mind 
what  the  punishment  should  be,  causes  the  liver  to  become 
torpid  and  to  cease  its  natural  action;  the  complexion  is 
muddy  as  a  result.  "There  is  therefore  now  no  condem- 
nation to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  walk  not 
after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit."  This  statement  held 
in  mind,  and  carried  out  in  thought  and  act,  will  heal  that 
kind  of  liver  complaint.  Another  form  of  thought  related 
to  judgment  is  the  vacillating  mind  which  never  seems  to 
know  definitely  what  is  the  proper  thing  to  do.     "A  dou- 


122  Lesson    Eleven 

ble-minded  man  is  unstable  in  all  his  ways."  There  must 
be  singleness  of  mind,  and  loyalty  to  true  ideas.  Every- 
one should  have  definite  ideas  of  what  is  just  and  right, 
and  stand  by  them.  This  stimulates  the  action  of  the 
liver,  and  often  gives  so-called  bad  people  good  health, 
because  they  are  not  under  self-condemnation.  Condem- 
nation in  any  of  its  forms  retards  freedom  of  action  in 
the  discriminative  faculty.  When  we  hold  ourselves  in 
guilt  and  condemnation,  the  natural  energies  of  the  mind 
are  weakened,  and  the  whole  body  becomes  inert. 

The  remedy  for  all  that  appears  unjust  is  denial  of 
condemnation  of  others,  or  of  one's  self,  and  affirmation 
of  the  great  Universal  Spirit  of  Justice,  through  which 
all  unequal  and  unrighteous  conditions  are  finally  ad- 
justed. 

Observing  the  conditions  that  exist  in  the  world,  the 
just  man  would  have  them  righted  according  to  what  he 
perceives  to  be  the  equable  law.  Unless  such  a  one  has 
spiritual  understanding  he  is  very  apt  to  bring  upon 
himself  physical  disabilities  in  his  efforts  to  reform  men. 
If  his  feelings  come  to  a  point  of  "righteous  indignation" 
and  he  "boils"  with  anger  over  the  evils  of  the  world, 
he  will  cook  the  corpuscles  of  his  blood.  Jesus  gave  this 
treatment  for  such  a  mental  condition:  "The  Father 
judgeth  no  man,  but  hath  committed  all  judgment  unto 
the  Son."  This  Son  is  the  Christ,  Universal  Cosmos,  and 
into  its  equity,  man  should  commit  the  justice  which  he 
wishes  to  see  brought  into  human  affairs.  Put  all  the 
burdens  of  the  world  upon  the  One  Supreme  Judge  and 


Judgment  and  Justice  128 

hold  every  man,  and  all  the  conditions  in  which  men  are 
involved,  amenable  to  the  law  of  God.  By  so  doing  you 
will  set  into  action  mind  forces  powerful  and  far-reach- 
ing. 

If  you  think  that  you  are  unjustly  treated  by  your 
friends,  your  employers,  or  your  government,  or  those 
with  whom  you  do  business,  simply  declare  the  activity 
of  this  Almighty  IMind,  and  you  will  set  into  action  men- 
tal forces  that  will  find  expression  in  the  executors  of  the 
law.  This  is  the  most  lasting  reform  to  which  man  can 
apply  himself.  It  is  much  more  effective  than  legislation, 
or  any  attempt  to  control  unjust  men  in  mortal  ways. 

Jealousy  is  a  form  of  mental  bias  that  blinds  the 
judgment  and  causes  one  to  act  without  weighing  the 
consequences.  The  effect  of  this  state  of  mind  upon  the 
liver  is  violent  action  one  day  and  torpidity  the  next, 
finally  resulting  in  a  "jaundiced  eye"  and  yellow  skin. 
We  speak  of  one  "blinded  by  jealousy,"  and  also  "blind- 
ed by  prejudice."  We  do  not  mean  by  this  that  their 
eyes  have  been  put  out,  but  that  their  understanding  has 
been  darkened.  Whatever  darkens  the  understanding 
interferes  in  some  way  with  the  action  of  the  purifying 
functions  of  the  organism,  and  the  fluids  and  pigments 
are  congested  and  the  skin  darkened  in  consequence. 

The  remedy  for  all  this  is  a  dismissal  of  that  poor 
judgment  which  causes  one  to  be  jealous,  and  a  fuller 
trust  in  the  great  All- Ad  justing  Justice.  In  this  there 
should  be  active  trust,  which  is  a  form  of  prayer — a 
placing  definitely  in  the  hands  of  God  the  things  that 


124  Lesson    Eleven 

come  into  life  and  seem  disturbing  elements.  This  is 
much  more  than  mere  doubtful  trust  or  negative  expect- 
ancy that  things  will  be  made  right.  The  Spirit  of  Jus- 
tice should  be  appealed  to  and  prayed  to  with  the  persist- 
ency of  an  Elijah,  or  of  the  Gentile  woman,  whose  im- 
portunity was  rewarded.  When  the  metaphysician  sits 
by  his  patient  with  closed  eyes  he  is  not  asleep,  but  very 
much  awake  to  the  reality  and  mental  visibility  of  forces 
that  enter  into  and  make  the  conditions  of  the  body. 
This  spiritual  activity  is  necessary  to  demonstration  of 
the  Law. 

Success  in  the  world  is  largely  dependent  upon  good 
judgment.  A  prominent  business  man  was  once  asked 
what  he  considered  the  most  valuable  trait  of  mind  in  an 
employee,  and  he  replied,  "Good  judgment."  Every- 
where business  men  are  looking  for  people  who  have 
judgment  equal  to  the  making  of  quick  decisions  on  the 
spur  of  the  moment.  Many  years  ago  a  station  agent  at 
a  little  town  in  Texas,  where  the  wreck  of  a  passenger 
train  took  place,  showed  his  good  judgment  by  settling 
right  on  the  spot  with  the  injured.  He  did  this  without 
authority  from  headquarters,  but  he  showed  such  excel- 
lent judgment  that  his  ability  was  recognized  and  he  was 
rapidly  advanced,  until  he  became  president  of  one  of 
the  largest  railroad  systems  in  the  United  States. 

This  ability  of  the  mind  to  arrive  at  quick  and  right 
conclusions  can  be  cultivated  by  clearing  up  the  under- 
standing and  acknowledging  the  One  Supreme  Mind  in 
which  is  all  discrimination.     Take  the  stand  that  it  is 


Judgment  and  Justick  1J5 

your  inheritance  from  God  to  judge  wisely  and  quickly, 
and  do  not  depart  therefrom  by  statements  of  inefficiency 
in  matters  of  judgment.  When  you  are  in  doubt  as  to 
the  right  thing  to  do  in  attaining  justice  in  worldly  af- 
fairs, ask  that  this  eternal  Spirit  of  Justice  shall  go  forth 
in  your  behalf  and  bring  about  and  restore  to  you  that 
which  is  your  very  own.  Do  not  ask  for  anything  but 
your  very  own  under  the  righteous  law.  Some  people 
unconsciously  over-reach  in  their  desire  for  possessions. 
When  they  put  the  matter  in  the  hands  of  the  Spirit,  and 
things  do  not  turn  out  just  as  they  had  fixed  them  in  their 
mortal  way,  they  are  disappointed  and  rebellious.  This 
will  not  do  under  the  spiritual  law,  which  requires  that 
man  shall  be  satisfied  with  Justice,  and  accept  the  re- 
sults, whatever  they  may  be.  There  is  a  divinity  that 
shapes  our  ends,  and  it  can  be  co-operated  with  by  one 
who  believes  in  things  spiritual,  and  all  the  voyage  of 
life  be  made  prosperous  and  happy. 


JUDGMENT  AND   JUSTICE  STATEMENTS 
(To  be  used  in  connection  with  Lesson  Eleven.) 

Teach  me  thy  way,  O  Lord,  and  lead  me  in  a  plain 
path.     Psalm    27:  11. 

The  righteousness  of  the  Divine  Law  is  active  in 
all  my  affairs  and  I  am  protected. 

Stand  therefore,  having  your  loins  girt  about  with 


126  Lesson    Eleven 

truth,  and  having  on  the  breastplate  of  righteousness. 
Eph.    6:14. 

The  meek  will  he  guide  in  judgment.     Psalm  25:  9. 

I  will  sing  of  mercy  and  judgment.     Psalm  101:  1. 

My  judgment  is  just;  because  I  seek  not  mine  own 
will  but  the  will  of  the  Father. 

Judge  not  lest  ye  be  judged. 

Behold  now,  I  have  ordered  my  course;  I  know 
that  I  shall  be  justified.    Job  13:18. 

I  believe  in  the  Divine  Law  of  Justice,  and  I  trust 
it  to  set  right  every  transaction  that  comes  into  my 
life. 

There  is  now  no  condemnation  to  them  that  are  in 
Christ  Jesus. 

I  no  longer  condemn,  criticise,  censure  or  find  fault 
with  my  associates.  Neither  do  I  belittle  nor  condemn 
myself. 


LESSON    TWELVE 


LOVE 


Behold  what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed 
upon  us,  that  we  should  be  called  the  children  of  God:  and 
such  we  are. — I  John  3:1. 

He  that  abideth  in  love  abideth  in  God,  and  God  abidetb 
in  him. — I  John  4:16. 

He  that  hath  my  commandments,  and  keepeth  them,  he  it 
is  that  loveth  me:  and  he  that  loveth  me  shall  be  loved  of  my 
Father,  and  I  will  love  him,  and  will  manifest  myself  unto  him. 
John  14:21. 

OVE,  in  Divine  Mind,  is  the  idea  of  Universal 
Unity.     In  expression,  love  is  the  power  that 
joins  and  binds  in  Divine  Harmony  the  Uni- 
verse and  everything  in  it. 

Among  the  faculties  of  the  mind  Love  is  pivotal.  Its 
center  of  mentation  in  the  body  is  the  Solar  Plexus.  The 
physical  representative  of  love  is  the  heart,  the  office  of 
which  is  to  equalize  the  circulation  of  the  blood  in  the 
body.  As  the  heart  equalizes  the  life-flow  in  the  body, 
so  love  harmonizes  the  thought  of  the  mind. 

Levi  (love)  of  the  twelve  sons  of  Jacob,  represent- 
ing the  twelve  faculties  of  mind,  was  brought  forth  by  the 
human  soul   (Leah),  who  said  at  his  birth,  "Now  this 


128  Lesson  Twelve 

time  will  my  husband  be  joined  unto  me."  We  connect 
our  soul  forces  with  whatever  we  center  our  love  upon. 
If  we  love  the  things  of  sense  or  materiality,  we  are 
joined  or  attached  to  them  through  a  fixed  law  of  Being. 
The  soul  or  thinking  part  of  man  should  in  Divine  Order 
be  joined  to  its  spiritual  Ego.  If  it  allows  itself  to 
become  joined  to  the  outer,  or  sense-consciousness,  it 
makes  personal  images  which  are  limitations.  The  Lord 
commanded  Moses  to  make  all  things  after  the  pattern 
shown  in  the  mount.  This  "mount"  is  the  place  of  high 
understanding,  or  spiritual  consciousness,  whose  center 
of  action  is  in  the  very  apex  of  the  brain. 

In  the  regeneration,  our  love  goes  through  a  trans- 
formation which  broadens,  strengthens,  and  deepens  it. 
We  no  longer  confine  love  to  family,  friends  and  personal 
relations,  but  expand  it  to  include  all  things.  The  denial 
of  human  relationships  seems  at  first  glance  to  be  a 
repudiation  of  human  kinship,  but  it  is  merely  a  cleansing 
of  the  mind  from  limited  ideas  of  human  kinship.  If  God 
is  the  Father  of  all,  then  all  men  and  women  are  brothers 
and  sisters,  and  one  who  sees  spiritually  should  open  his 
heart  and  cultivate  that  universal  love  which  God  has 
given  as  the  unifying  element  in  the  human  family.  Just 
to  the  extent  that  we  separate  ourselves  into  families, 
cliques,  and  religious  factions,  do  we  put  away  God's 
love.  Unless  there  is  a  specific  denial  along  every  line 
of  human  thought-bondage,  one  will  still  be  under  the 
law  of  sense.  A  direct  affirmation  of  spiritual  unity, 
based  upon  obedience,  should  be  made  by  every  one  who 


Love  129 

desires  to  realize  this  true  relation.  Jesus  said,  "Who 
is  my  mother?  and  who  are  my  brethren?  And  he 
stretched  forth  his  hand  toward  his  disciples,  and  said, 
Behold  my  mother  and  my  brethren !  For  whosoever 
shall  do  the  will  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven,  the 
same  is  my  brother  and  sister  and  mother." 

Among  the  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ,  John  repre- 
sents love — he  laid  his  head  on  the  Master's  bosom. 
When  this  disciple  is  called,  love  is  quickened  in  con- 
sciousness. The  calling  of  this  disciple  consists  in  bring- 
ing to  consciousness  a  right  understanding  of  the  true 
character  of  love,  and  its  exercise  in  all  the  relations  of 
life.  One  should  make  it  a  practice  to  meditate  regularly 
upon  the  Idea  Love  in  Universal  Mind,  with  the  prayer, 
"Divine  Love,  manifest  thyself  in  me."  Then  there 
should  be  periods  of  mental  concentration  upon  the  love- 
center  in  the  Solar  Plexus,  near  the  heart.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  know  the  exact  location  of  this  aggregation 
of  love  cells.  Think  about  love  with  the  attention  directed 
in  the  breast,  and  a  quickening  will  follow,  and  all  the 
ideas  that  go  to  make  up  love  will  be  set  into  rapid  mo- 
tion. This  produces  a  positive  love-current,  that,  when 
sent  forth  with  power,  will  break  up  and  render  null  and  ; 
void  opposing  thoughts  of  hate.  These  thoughts  of  hate  j 
will  be  dissolved,  not  only  in  the  mind  of  the  thinker,  but  • 
in  the  minds  of  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  con- 
tact in  mind  or  body.  The  love-current  is  not  pro- 
jected by  the  will,  but  is  a  setting  free  of  a  natural 
equalizing,  harmonizing  force  which  has  in  most  peo- 


/ 


ISO  Lesson    Twelve 

pie  been  dammed  up  by  human  limitations.  The  ordinary 
man  is  not  aware  that  he  possesses  this  mighty  power 
that  will  turn  away  every  shaft  of  hate  that  is  aimed 
at  him.  We  know  that  "a  soft  answer  turneth  away 
wrath/'  but  here  is  a  faculty  native  to  man,  and  ex- 
isting in  every  soul,  which  may  be  used  at  all  times 
to  bring  about  harmony  and  unity  between  those  who 
have  been  dis-united  through  misunderstandings,  con- 
tentions and  selfislmess. 

Henry  Drummond  says  that  Paul's  13th  chapter  of 
I  Corinthians  is  the  greatest  love-poem  ever  written. 
His  book,  "The  Greatest  Thing  in  the  World,"  analyzes 
love  and  portrays  its  various  activities  based  upon  Paul's 
poem.     We  quote  as  follows: 

"The  Spectrum  of  Love.  'Love  is  a  compound 
thing,'  Paul  tells  us.  It  is  like  light.  As  you  have  seen 
a  man  of  science  take  a  beam  of  light  and  pass  it  through 
a  crystal  prism,  as  you  have  seen  it  come  out  on  the  other 
side  of  the  prism  broken  up  into  its  component  colors — 
red  and  blue  and  yellow  and  orange,  and  all  the  colors 
of  the  rainbow — so  Paul  passes  this  thing,  Love,  through 
the  magnificent  prism  of  his  inspired  intellect,  and  it 
comes  out  on  the  other  side  broken  up  into  its  elements. 
And  in  these  few  words  we  have  what  one  might  call  the 
Spectrum  of  Love,  the  analysis  of  Love.  Will  you  ob- 
serve what  its  elements  are.^"  Will  you  notice  that  they 
have  common  names ;  that  they  are  virtues  which  we  hear 
about  every  day;  that  they  are  things  that  can  be 
practiced  by  every  man  in  every  place  in  life;  and  how 


LovK  181 

by  a  multitude  of  small  things  and  ordinary  virtues,  the 
supreme  thing,  the  summum  honum,  is  made  up?  The 
Spectrum  of  Love  has  nine  ingredients,  viz.: 

"Patience — 'Love  suffereth  long.'  Kindness — 'and 
is  kind.'  Generosity — 'Love  envieth  not'  Humility — 
'Love  vaunteth  not  itself,  is  not  puffed  up.'  Courtesy — 
'Doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly.'  Unselfishness — 'Seek- 
eth  not  her  own.'  Good  Temper — 'Is  not  easily  pro- 
voked.* Guilelessness — 'Thinketh  no  evil.'  Sincerity — 
'Rejoiceth  not  in  iniquity,  but  rejoiceth  in  the  truth.' 

Professor  Drummond  in  his  address  upon  this  chap- 
ter to  Mr.  Moody's  students,  gathered  at  Northfield, 
Mass.,  said:  "How  many  of  you  will  join  me  in  reading 
this  chapter  once  a  week  for  the  next  three  months?  A 
man  did  that  once  and  it  changed  his  whole  life.  Will 
you  do  it?     Will  you?" 

Love  is  more  than  mere  affection,  and  all  our  words 
protesting  our  love  are  not  of  value  unless  we  have  this 
inner  current,  which  is  real  substance.  Though  we  have 
the  eloquence  of  men  and  angels,  and  have  not  this  deeper 
feeling,  it  profits  us  nothing.  We  should  then  deny  the 
mere  conventional,  surface  affection,  and  set  our  minds  on 
the  very  substance  of  love- 
Charity  is  not  love.  You  may  be  kind-hearted,  and 
give  to  the  poor  and  needy  until  you  are  impoverished, 
yet  not  acquire  love.  You  may  be  a  martyr  to  the  cause 
of  Truth,  and  consume  your  vitality  in  good  works,  yet 
be  far  from  love.  Love  is  a  force  that  runs  in  the  mind 
and  body  like  molten  gold  in  a  furnace.     It  does  not 


132  Lesson    Twelve 

mix  with  the  baser  metals — it  has  no  affinity  for  anything 
less  than  itself.  Love  is  patient;  it  never  gets  weary  or 
discouraged.  Love  is  always  kind  and  gentle ;  it  does  not 
envy — jealousy  has  no  place  in  its  world.  Love  never 
becomes  puffed  up  with  human  pride,  and  does  not  brag 
about  itself.  It  is  love  that  makes  the  refinement  of  the 
natural  gentleman  or  lady,  although  he  or  she  may  be 
ignorant  of  the  world's  standards  of  culture.  Love  does 
not  seek  its  own — its  own  comes  to  it  without  seeking. 
Jesus  Christ  came  proclaiming  the  spiritual  rela- 
tion of  the  human  family.  He  said,  "It  is  written  in  your 
scriptures,  an  eye  for  an  eye,  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth,  but 
I  say  unto  you.  Love  your  enemies,  do  good  to  them  which 
hate  you,  bless  them  that  curse  you,  and  pray  for  them 
which  despitefully  use  you."  To  do  this,  one  must  be 
established  in  the  consciousness  of  Divine  Love,  and  it 
requires  discipline  of  the  mental  nature  to  fulfill  such 
a  high  standard.  "Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  Law," 
which  law  is  founded  in  the  eternal  and  imchangeable 
unity  of  all  things.  Physical  science  has  discovered 
that  everything  can  be  reduced  to  a  few  primal  elements, 
and  that  if  the  universe  were  destroyed  it  could  be  built 
up  again  from  a  single  cell.  So  this  law  of  harmony, 
which  has  its  origin  in  Love,  is  established  in  the  midst 
of  every  individual.  "I  will  put  my  law  in  their  inward 
parts  and  write  it  in  their  hearts."  But  before  this  fixed 
inward  principle  can  be  brought  to  the  surface,  man  must 
open  the  way  by  having  faith  in  the  power  of  love  to 
accomplish  all  that  Jesus  claimed  for  it. 


Love  13S 

"The  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil,"  This 
does  not  say  that  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil,  but  the 
love  of  it.  Money  is  a  convenience  and  saves  men  many 
burdens  in  the  exchange  of  values.  Primitive  civilization 
used  the  cumbersome  custom  of  trading  products  without 
a  money  representative,  while  modern  progress  uses 
money  more  and  more  as  a  medium  of  exchange.  Money 
is  therefore  good  to  the  man  of  sense ;  but  when  he  allows 
himself  to  become  enamored  of  it,  and  hoards  it,  he  makes 
it  his  god.  The  erasement  of  this  idea  from  huuian  con- 
scousness  is  part  of  the  metaphysician's  work.  Trust- 
ing in  God,  we  have  faith  in  him  as  our  Resource,  and  he 
becomes  a  perpetual  spiritual  supply  and  support;  but 
having  faith  in  the  power  of  material  riches,  our  trust 
is  weaned  from  God  and  established  in  this  transitory 
substance  of  rust  and  corruption.  This  point  is  not 
clearly  understood  by  those  who  are  hypnotized  by  the 
money  idea.  When  the  metaphysician  affirms  God  his 
opulent  supply  and  support,  and  declares  that  he  has 
money  in  abundance,  the  assumption  is  that  he  loves 
money  and  depends  upon  it  in  the  same  way  that  the 
devotees  of  mammon  do.  The  difference  is,  that  one 
trusts  in  the  law  of  God  while  the  other  trusts  in  the 
ways  of  mammon.  The  man  who  blindly  gives  himself 
up  to  money-getting  acquires  a  love  for  it,  and  finally  be- 
comes its  slave.  The  wise  metaphysican  deals  with  the 
money  idea,  and  masters  it. 

When  Jesus  said,  "I  have  overcome  the  world,  the 
flesh  and  the  devil,"  he  meant  that  through  the  use  of 


134  Lesson    Twelve 

certain  words,  he  had  dissolved  all  adverse  states  of 
consciousness  in  materiality,  appetite,  and  selfishness. 
Great  stress  is  laid  upon  the  power  of  the  Word,  because 
Christ  is  the  Word,  or  Logos,  and  the  Word  is  the  seed 
in  the  Mind  from  which  every  condition  arises.  The 
Word  is  the  most  enduring  thing  in  existence.  "Heaven 
and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  my  words  shall  not  pass 
away."  All  metaphysicians  recognize  that  certain 
words,  used  persistently,  mold  and  transform  condi- 
tions in  mind,  body  and  affairs.  The  word  Love  over- 
comes hate,  resistance,  opposition,  obstinacy,  anger, 
jealousy,  and  all  states  of  consciousness  where  there  is 
mental  or  physical  friction.  Words  make  cells,  and  these 
cells  are  adjusted  one  to  the  other  through  associated 
ideas.  When  Divine  Love  enters  into  the  thought  pro- 
cess, every  cell  is  poised  and  balanced  in  space  with 
mathematical  order  as  to  weight  and  relative  distance. 
Astronomical  law  and  system  are  the  same  in  the  mole- 
cules of  the  body  and  the  worlds  of  a  planetary  system. 
Divine  love  and  human  love  should  not  be  con- 
founded, because  one  is  as  broad  as  the  universe  and  is 
always  governed  by  undeviating  laws,  while  the  other  is 
fickle,  selfish  and  lawless.  It  was  to  this  personal  as- 
pect of  the  love-center  in  man  that  Jesus  referred  when 
he  said,  "Out  of  the  heart  proceed  evil  thoughts."  But 
in  the  regeneration  all  this  is  changed,  and  the  heart  is 
cleansed  and  becomes  the  standard  of  right  relation  be- 
tween all  men.  "By  this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are 
my  disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  to  another."     We  can- 


Love  135 

not  enter  into  the  Jesus  Christ  consciousness  fully  so 
long  as  we  have  a  grudge  against  anyone.  The  mind  is 
so  constituted  that  a  single  thought  of  a  discordant  char- 
acter tinges  the  whole  consciousness;  so  we  must  cast  out 
all  evil  and  resisting  thoughts,  before  we  can  know  the 
love  of  God  in  its  fullness.  "If  thou  bring  thy  gift  to 
the  altar,  and  there  rememberest  that  thy  brother  hath 
aught  against  thee;  leave  there  thy  gift  before  the  altar, 
and  go  thy  way;  first  be  reconciled  to  thy  brother,  and 
then  come  and  offer  thy  gift." 

Divine  Love  in  the  heart  establishes  one  in  fear- 
lessness and  indomitable  courage.  "God  hath  not  given 
us  the  spirit  of  fear,  but  of  power,  and  of  love,  and  of  a 
sound  mind."  A  lady  who  understands  this  law  was  once 
attacked  by  a  tramp.  She  looked  him  steadily  in  the 
eye  and  said,  ''God  loves  you."  He  released  his  hold 
upon  her  and  slunk  away.  Another  lady  saw  a  man 
beating  a  horse  that  could  not  pull  a  load  up  a  hill. 
She  silently  said  to  the  man,  "The  love  of  God  fills  your 
heart,  and  you  are  tender  and  kind."  He  immediately 
unhitched  the  horse,  and,  strange  to  relate,  the  grateful 
animal  walked  directly  over  to  the  house  where  the  lady 
was,  and  put  his  nose  against  the  window  behind  which 
she  stood.  A  young  girl  sang  "Jesus  Lover  of  My  Soul" 
to  a  calloused  criminal,  and  his  heart  was  softened,  and  he 
was  reformed. 

The  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth  which  is  now 
being  established  between  men  and  nations  the  world 
over  is  based  upon  love.     When   men  understand   each 


136  Lesson    Twelve 

other,  love  increases.  This  is  true  not  only  between  men, 
but  between  men  and  the  animal,  and  even  the  vegetable 
worlds.  In  Yellowstone  Park,  where  protection  of 
animals  has  been  commanded  by  our  government,  grizzly 
bears  come  to  the  house  doors  and  eat  scraps  from  the 
table,  and  wild  animals  of  all  kinds  are  tame  and 
friendly.  "The  wolf  also  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb, 
and  the  leopard  shall  lie  down  with  the  kid;  and  the  calf 
and  the  young  lion  and  the  fatling  together;  and  a  little 
child  shall  lead  them.  *  *  *  They  shall  not  hurt  nor 
destroy  in  all  my  holy  mountain:  for  the  earth  shall  be 
full  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover 
the  sea." 

Beloved,  let  us  love  one  another:  for  love  is  of  God;  and 
every  one  that  loveth  is  begotten  of  God,  and  knoweth  God. 
He  that  loveth  not  know^eth  not  God;  for  God  is  love.  Herein 
was  the  love  of  God  manifest  in  us,  that  God  hath  sent  his 
only  begotten  Son  into  the  world  that  we  might  live  through 
him.  Herein  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he  loved 
us,  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our  sins.  Be- 
loved, if  God  so  loved  us,  we  also  ought  to  love  one  another. 
No  man  hath  beheld  God  at  any  time:  if  we  love  one  another, 
God  abideth  in  us,  and  his  love  is  perfected  in  us;  hereby  know 
we  that  we  abide  in  him,  and  he  in  us,  because  he  hath  given 
us  of  his  Spirit.  And  we  have  beheld  and  bear  witness  that 
the  Father  hath  sent  the  Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the  world. 
Whosoever  shall  confess  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God,  God 
abideth  in  him,  and  he  in  God.  And  we  know  and  have  believed 
the  love  which  God  hath  in  us.  God  is  love;  and  vhe  that 
abideth  in  love  abideth  in  God,"and  God  abideth  in  him.  Here- 
in is  love  made  perfect  with  us,  that  we  may  have  boldness  in 
the  day  of  the  judgment;  because  as  he  is,  even  so  are  we  in 


Love  137 

this  world.  There  is  no  fear  in  love:  but  perfect  love  casteth 
out  fear,  because  fear  hath  punishment;  and  he  that  feareth  is 
not  made  perfect  in  love.  We  love,  because  he  first  loved  us. 
If  a  man  say,  1  love  God,  and  hateth  his  brother,  he  is  a  liar: 
for  he  that  loveth  not  his  brother  whom  he  hath  seen,  cannot 
love  God  whom  he  hath  not  seen.  And  this  commandment  have 
we  from  hinoj  that  he  who  loveth  God,  love  his  brother  also  — 
I.  John  4:7-21. 


LOVE    DEMONSTRATED 
(To  be  used  in  connection  with  Lesson  Twelve.) 

God  is  love,  and  he  that  dwelleth  in  love,  dwelleth 
in  God. 

I  dwell  consciously  in  the  very  presence  of  Infinite 
Love. 

God  is  love,  and  every  one  that  loveth  is  born  of 
God. 

I  am  born  of  Love. 

Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law. 

I  love  everybody  and  everything. 

Faith  worketh  by  love. 

I  have  faith  in  the  Supreme  Power  of  love. 

God  hath  not  given  us  the  spirit  of  fear,  but  of 
power  and  of  love,  and  of  a  sound  mind. 

I  am  fearless,  powerful  and  wise  in  God's  love. 

Behold  what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  be- 
stowed upon  us  that  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of 
God. 

I  love  the  Lord  my  God  with  all  my  heart,  and  with 


138  Lesson    Twelve 

all  mj  mind,  and  with  all  my  soul,  and  with  all  my 
strength. 

And  now  abideth  faith,  hope  and  love,  these  three: 
but  the  greatest  of  these  is  love. — I.  Cor.  13:13. 


TALKS 

ON 

TRUTH 


HOW   MICROBES   ARE   MADE 

And  out  of  the  ground  the  Lord  God  formed  every  beast 
of  the  field,  and  every  fowl  of  the  air;  and  brought  them  unto 
Adam  to  see  what  he  would  call  them:  and  whatsoever  Adam 
called  every  living  creature,  that  was  the  name  thereof. — 
Gen.  2:  19. 

To  him  that  overcometh,  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me  on 
my  throne. — Rev.  3:21. 

I  HE  author  of  Genesis  was  evidently  a  great  met- 
aphysician. He  described  Being  as  God, 
Lord  God,  and  Adam.  We  would  express  the 
same  truth  in  the  terms,  Mind,  Idea  and  Manifestation. 
The  manifestation  is  always  the  self-conscious,  hence 
the  limited.  This  is  Adam.  But  these  three  are  one, 
because  the  manifestation  rests  upon  and  is  sustained  by 
the  Idea,  and  the  Idea  is  encompassed  by  the  Mind  that 
conceives  it;  therefore  the  Real  of  Adam  is  the  Lord 
God,  and  the  Omnipresent  Fount  of  the  Lord  God  is 
the  One  God.  This  being  true,  man  has  no  permanent 
existence  while  he  is  alone  in  the  consciousness  of  this 
Adam  or  personal  estate,  because  this  is  not  all  of  his 
being,  but  merely  a  part.  His  being  is  summed  up  in  a 
consciousness  of  God,  Lord  God,  and  Adam.  These 
three  are  not  separated  but  are  omnipresent  in  every- 
one. The  only  walls  of  separation  are  those  built  by 
consciousness  of  separation.    When  Wisdom  is  found,  and 


142  Talks  on  Truth 

her  conditions  complied  with,  the  consciousness  of  the 
omnipresence  of  the  Three  in  One  is  proclaimed:  "Be- 
lievest  thou  not  that  I  am  in  the  Father  and  the  Father  in 
me?  the  words  that  I  speak  unto  you  I  speak  not  of  my- 
self: but  the  Father  that  dwelleth  in  me,  he  doeth  the 
works." — John  14:10. 

Adam  is  perfectly  legitimate  in  his  right  place,  and 
that  place  is  the  consciousness  of  the  omnipresence  of 
the  Father ;  then  he  is  back  again  in  the  garden  of  Eden. 
Adam  has  a  very  important  place  in  creation  in  that 
he  is  the  factor  in  the  manifestation  of  Being  that 
"names"  or  gives  character  to  its  potentialities. 

Man  is  not  Adam:  Adam  is  a  part  of  man's  con- 
sciousness. Adam  is  your  intellect,  but  you  transcend 
the  intellect.  You  form  your  intellect  from  the  "dust 
of  the  ground";  that  is,  the  omnipresent  substance,  and 
through  it,  as  a  kind  of  reflecting  lens,  you  give  char- 
acter to  your  surroimdings. 

Those  familiar  with  the  study  of  the  operations  of 
the  intellect  tell  us  that  it  is  constantly  making  images 
of  the  ideas  that  float  into  its  surroundings.  It  is  when 
we  know  this  that  we  are  astonished  at  the  metaphys- 
ical depth  of  Genesis.  The  Lord  God  is  described  as 
bringing  the  "beasts  of  the  field  and  the  fowls  of  the 
air"  to  Adam  "to  see  what  he  would  call  them." 

The  "beasts  of  the  field"  are  the  ideas  in  Being 
pertaining  to  organized  life,  and  the  "fowls  of  the  air" 
are  ideas  of  spiritual  life.  It  is  the  Adam,  or  intellect, 
that  gives  character  to  both  ideal  conditions ;  it  is  through 


How  Microbes  are  Made  143 

him  that  man  makes  his  heaven  or  his  hell.  Among  the 
disciples  of  Jesus,  Peter  represented  one  aspect  of  the 
I  AM.  He  had  been  partially  opened  to  the  light 
of  Spirit,  and  his  power  over  ideas  recognized.  "And 
I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven : 
and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound 
in  heaven ;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose  on  earth 
shall  be  loosed  in  heaven." — (Matt.  16:  19-)  This  is 
a  repetition  on  a  higher  plane  of  the  allegory  of  the 
Lord  God  bringing  to  Adam  the  beasts  of  the  field  and 
fowls  of  the  air  to  see  what  he  would  call  them. 

He  who  studies  Mind  may  know  how  to  "discern 
the  signs  of  the  times."  He  becomes  familiar  with  cer- 
tain underlying  principles  and  he  recognizes  them  in 
their  different  masks  in  the  whirligig  of  time.  All  Scrip- 
ture veils  under  historical  symbology  the  movements  of 
Mind  in  its  different  cycles  of  progress.  These  cycles 
repeat  themselves  over  and  over  again,  but  each  time  on 
a  little  higher  plane.  Thus  the  sphere  or  circle  is  a  type 
of  the  complete  Mind,  but  in  manifestation  the  circles 
are  piled  one  on  top  of  another  in  an  infinite  spiral. 

We  today  are  repeating  the  mental  circle  of  two 
thousand  years  ago.  The  descent  of  the  Spirit  into  the 
earth  consciousness,  as  symbolized  by  the  life  and  death 
of  Jesus  Christ,  is  being  again  enacted  in  our  age.  The 
idea  of  a  personal  Messiah  has  been  raised  to  include 
messiahship  for  all  who  will  drink  of  the  waters  of  life 
and  light  immanent  in  all,  and  now  being  poured  out 
upon  all  mankind. 


144  Talks  on  Truth 

But  principles  do  not  change — man  makes  his 
heaven  or  his  hell  just  as  he  did  two  thousand  or  two 
million  years  ago.  In  the  days  of  Moses,  the  Egyptians 
refused  to  give  freedom  to  the  Israelites  (their  spirit- 
ual ideas)  and  they  saw  frogs,  lice,  locusts  and  blood 
in  earth,  air  and  water.  Today  those  who  contend  for 
the  Egyptian  darkness  of  the  intellect,  see  in  the  same 
earth,  air  and  water,  disease  germs,  death  microbes,  and 
destructive  animalculae. 

It  is  now  almost  universally  accepted  by  physicians 
that  the  majority  of  diseases  are  caused  by  minute  forms 
of  life  commonly  called  "microbes"  or  disease  germs. 
Cancer,  consumption,  diphtheria,  croup,  etc.,  each  has 
its  specific  microbe,  which  is  the  invisible  yet  active 
agent.  These  microbes  may  be  seen  with  very  strong 
microscopes,  and  the  form  and  character  of  the  different 
varieties  are  fully  described  by  experts  like  Pasteur 
and  Koch,  whose  antidotes  for  these  destructive  little  an- 
imals have  been  widely  advertised.  Their  remedy  con- 
sists in  destroying  the  microbe — they  do  not  attempt  to 
explain  his  origin.  They  find  the  little  worker  busy 
in  the  bodies  of  mankind  and  they  seek  to  put  him 
out  of  action,  not  asking  where  he  came  from  or  whither 
he  may  go. 

But  the  reflective  mind  is  not  satisfied  with  this 
superficial  way  of  dealing  with  such  destructive  agents. 
It  asks  their  cause,  but  no  answer  is  vouchsafed  on  the 
part  of  those  who  study  microbes.  Only  the  students 
of  mind  can  answer  this  question  of  the  origin  of  mi- 


How  Microbes   are  Made  145 

crobes  and  disease  germs,  and  it  can  be  explained  from 
no  other  standpoint. 

The  Adam-man,  the  intellect,  is  responsible  for  all 
the  microbes.  He  gives  character  to  all  the  ideas  that 
exist — he  "names"  them.  This  process  is  intricate  and 
may  be  explained  and  understood  in  its  details  only  by 
metaphysicians  of  the  deepest  mental  insight,  but  it  is 
summed  up  in  what  is  commonly  called  "thinking." 

Many  factors  enter  into  the  process  of  "thinking." 
There  is  the  capacity  of  him  who  thinks  to  form  his 
thoughts  and  give  them  substance  and  force.  There  is 
also  the  understanding  of  right  and  wrong,  truth  and 
error,  substance  and  shadow.  These  and  many  other 
conditions  enter  into  that  mental  process  loosely  termed 
"thinking." 

But  we  should  not  be  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  every 
mental  process  is  generative — from  thinking  is  evolved 
what  is  called  living.  Thinking  is  formative — every 
thought  clothes  itself  in  a  life  form  according  to  the 
character  given  it  by  the  thinker.  This  being  true  it 
must  follow  that  thoughts  of  health  will  produce  microbes 
whose  ofBce  is  to  build  up  healthy  organisms,  and 
thoughts  of  disease  will  produce  microbes  of  disorder 
and  destruction.  Here  we  have  the  connecting  link  be- 
tween materia  medica  and  metaphysics.  The  physician 
observes  the  ravages  of  the  disease  microbe,  but  is  at  a 
loss  to  account  for  its  source;  while  the  metaphysician 
stands  in  the  storehouse  of  thoughts  and  sees  them 
poured  into  visibility  as  microbes.    This  opens  up  a  field 


146  Talks  on  Truth 

of  causes  of  unlimited  extent.  If  every  thought  that 
flits  through  the  mind  of  every  man,  woman  and  child 
in  the  universe  produces  a  living  organism,  a  microbe 
of  character  like  the  thought,  what  mighty  possibilities 
for  good  or  ill  rest  with  the  thinkers !  There  is  no  es- 
cape from  this  conclusion,  and  everybody  must  sooner  or 
later  accept  it. 

Take  an  illustration  and  observe  the  various  stages 
of  the  law  in  the  case  of  diphtheria.  A  child  is  attacked ; 
the  doctor  is  called  and  from  symptoms  detects  the 
disease.  He  communicates  his  fears  to  the  family, 
and  in  addition  to  the  diphtheria  microbe,  another  of 
more  deadly  character  commences  its  inroads  upon  the 
nerve  centers  of  the  whole  family,  including  the  weak- 
ened and  therefore  doubly  susceptible  patient — this  is 
the  microbe  of  fear,  which  paralyzes  life  throughout  the 
body.  When  these  microbes  have  done  their  work  up  to 
a  certain  point,  still  another  is  created  to  complete  it — 
the  microbe  of  death. 

This  may  seem  an  exaggeration,  but  we  have  the 
authority  of  Dr.  Parker,  a  physician  of  New  York,  who 
states  that  he  has  discovered  the  microbe  of  death  and 
experimented  with  it.  A  recent  newspaper  article,  de- 
scribing his  discovery,  says:  "Death  is  caused  by  a  cer- 
tain specific  microbe,  that  can  be  recognized  and  bred, 
just  as  the  microbes  of  various  diseases  have  been  dis- 
covered and  propagated  by  Koch,  Pasteur  and  the  other 
bacteriologists.  The  labors  of  these  great  men  have 
made  further  discovery  possible,  and  it  was  through  the 


How  Microbes  are  Made  147 

study  of  their  achievements  that  Dr.  Parker  conceived 
the  idea  that,  inasmuch  as  disease  was  caused  by  these 
infinitesimal  derangers  of  the  human  system,  the  cul- 
mination of  disease  must  have  its  own  specific  microbe 
to  put  the  finish  to  the  work  of  dissolution,  without  which 
the  various  organs  of  the  body,  distempered  and  degrad- 
ed from  their  pristine  purity  and  vital  activity,  would 
remain  a  purulent  mass  of  living  corruption  unable  to 
resolve  itself  into  its  primal  elements  and  to  form  other 
combinations,  a  process  which  we  see  taking  place  every 
day  as  defunct  animal  matter  sinks  into  the  earth  or 
vanishes  into  the  air  to  afford  food  for  new  and  active 
organisms." 

This  is  not  at  all  improbable,  but  the  discovery 
might  properly  have  been  anticipated  by  the  metaphy- 
sician. If  thought  is  creative  it  must  cover  every  phase 
of  life,  and  every  thought  must  form  its  microbe,  and 
every  life  expression  must  have  originated  in  some 
thought.  These  propositions  are  axiomatic,  and  when 
one  familiar  with  mind  discovers  a  microbe  he  should 
know  just  what  idea  in  the  Adam  consciousness,  or  in- 
tellect, gave  it  form  and  name. 

Anger,  jealousy,  malice,  avarice,  lust,  ambition, 
selfishness,  and  in  fact  all  of  the  detestable  ideas  that 
mankind  harbor,  produce  living  organisms  after  their 
kind.  If  we  had  microscopes  strong  enough  we  would 
find  our  bodies  to  be  composed  of  living  microbes,  do- 
ing to  the  best  of  their  ability,  the  tasks  which  the  in- 
tellect has  set  before  them. 


148  Talks  on  Truth 

If  you  have  said,  "I  hate  you/'  there  has  been  cre- 
ated in  your  atmosphere  hate  germs  that  will  do  the 
work  for  which  you  created  them.  If  one's  enemies 
alone  were  attacked  by  these  microbes  of  thought  the 
law  would  not  be  so  severe,  but  they  have  no  respect 
of  person,  and  are  apt  to  turn  upon  the  body  of  their 
creator  and  tear  it  down. 

Doctors  are  especially  industrious  in  creating  mi- 
crobes in  their  particular  line.  They  make  a  new  dis- 
ease every  day,  or  rename  an  old  one,  and  each  is  en- 
dued with  its  specific  microbe  that  gives  it  standing 
among  the  people  who  believe  in  such  things,  and  its 
inventor  goes  down  in  medical  history  as  a  benefactor 
of  the  race. 

So  the  fears,  the  doubts,  the  poverty,  sin,  sickness, 
and  the  thousands  of  erroneous  states  of  consciousness 
— all  have  their  microbes.  These  organisms  whose  of- 
fice it  is  to  make  men  miserable,  do  their  work  to  the 
very  best  of  their  ability.  They  are  not  responsible 
for  their  existence,  but  are  the  formed  vehicles  of  thought 
and  the  servants  of  those  who  gave  them  life.  So  it  is 
not  to  the  microbes  that  the  wise  regulator  of  affairs 
should  look,  but  to  those  who  are  creating  them  and  there- 
by bringing  into  existence  discord  and  disease. 

Remedies  beyond  number  are  advertised  for  mi- 
crobes, but  they  are  guaranteed  to  kill  the  little  wig- 
gler  only.  What  is  needed  is  a  medicine  that  will  pre- 
vent his  appearance.  To  apply  the  remedy  to  the  poor 
little  microbe  is  like  trying  to  stop  the  manufacture  of 


How  Microbes  ark  Made  149 

counterfeit  money  by  destroying  all  that  is  found  in 
circulation. 

All  counterfeit  thought  comes  from  the  intellect. 
It  alone  originates  the  disease  germ  and  the  destructive 
microbe,  and  we  shall  go  no  farther  than  this  disobe- 
dient Adam  to  find  the  cause  of  all  the  ills  to  which  hu- 
manity has  become  slave. 

Wisdom  is  not  an  attribute  of  the  intellect.  The 
assumption  of  wisdom  by  it  is  the  one  thing  it  is  es- 
pecially warned  against  by  the  Lord  God.  "But  of  the 
tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  thou  shalt  not  eat 
of  it:  for  in  the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof  thou  shalt 
surely  die." 

This  very  clearly  indicates  the  inability  of  the  in- 
tellect, on  its  own  account,  to  set  up  a  standard  of  knowl- 
edge of  good  and  evil,  and  the  end  to  which  it  will  come 
if  it  does  so. 

That  there  is  something  wrong  in  the  standard  of 
good  is  evidenced  by  the  variety  of  opinions  in  the  world 
as  to  what  is  good  and  what  is  evil.  There  should  be 
no  question  on  such  vitally  important  points,  and  there 
would  not  be  if  the  intellect  would  relinquish  its  claim 
to  a  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  and  relegate  to  the 
Spirit  the  office  of  Wisdom  and  Understanding. 

The  intellect  is  the  formative,  character-giving 
mechanism  in  the  man;  it  draws  its  substance  and  in- 
telligence from  the  Spirit.  Like  the  lens  through  which 
the  ray  of  white  light  is  passed,  it  reflects  the  potenti- 
alities of  the  Spirit.     If  it  looks  within  and  seeks  the 


150  Talks  on  Truth 

guidance  of  the  Spirit;,  it  reflects  Divine  ideas  upon  the 
screen  of  visibility.  This  is  the  plan  which  the  Lord 
has  for  it,  and  it  is  building  according  to  that  plan  only 
when  it  admits  that  there  is  a  higher  source  of  wisdom 
than  itself,  and  seeks  it. 

The  manifestation  of  life  is  through  the  Adam  con- 
sciousness, and  he  is  in  a  way  attached  to  and  responsi- 
ble for  the  forms  thus  made  visible.  Hence  the  reform 
— the  transformation — of  existing  conditions  must  be 
made  from  the  standpoint  of  Adam  as  an  important  fac- 
tor. 

To  ignore  Adam  is  to  slight  one  of  the  established 
creations  of  the  Lord  God.  If  Adam  was  not  a  part  of 
the  Divine  plan,  why  was  he  formed  from  the  dust  of 
the  earth,  the  breath  of  life  breathed  into  him,  and  a 
living  soul  capacity  given  to  him? 

No,  we  are  not  to  erase  Adam,  but  we  are  to  trans- 
form him.  He  is  not  a  safe  guide  in  anything — his  con- 
clusions are  derived  from  observation  of  conditions  as 
he  sees  them  in  the  external  world.  He  judges  accord- 
ing to  appearance,  which  is  but  one  side  of  the  whole. 
Appearances  say  that  microbes  are  dangerous  and  de- 
structive, but  one  who  is  familiar  with  their  origin  is 
not  alarmed,  because  he  knows  that  there  is  a  power 
and  wisdom  stronger  and  wiser  than  the  ignorant  in- 
tellect. 

It  is  to  this  power  that  we  are  compelled  to  go  be- 
fore we  can  right  the  wrongs  that  now  dominate  the 


How  Microbes  are  Made  151 

minds  of  men.     There  is  but  one  fount  of  wisdom,  and 
that  is  Wisdom  itself. 

Wisdom  cannot  be  evolved  from  the  study  of  mi- 
crobes— it  is  they  who  wait  upon  the  Lord  who  shall 
be  wise.  Herein  is  one  of  the  most  universal  errors  of 
this  age — the  idea  that  wisdom  is  attained  through  the 
study  of  things.  This  is  the  concept  of  the  intellect 
in  its  tendency  to  look  without  instead  of  within.  The 
without,  the  universe  of  things  formed,  is  not  and  never 
can  be  a  source  of  wisdom.  The  things  formed  are  the 
results  of  efforts  to  combine  W^isdom  and  Love,  and  their 
character  indicates  the  success  or  failure  of  the  under- 
taking. When  Wisdom  and  Love  have  been  invoked,  and 
their  harmony  made  manifest  in  the  thing  formed,  God 
is  manifest. 

We  love  to  give  "names"  or  character  to  the  ideas 
of  the  Lord  God,  because  it  is  our  office  in  the  grand  plan 
of  creation  to  do  so.  The  glory  of  the  Father  is  thus 
made  manifest  through  the  Son.  In  no  other  way  can 
the  ideas  in  Being  be  made  manifest,  and  man  should 
rise  to  the  dignity  of  his  office  and  formulate  accordinj^ 
to  the  plans  of  Divine  Mind. 

Disease  germs  and  microbes  would  quickly  disap- 
pear from  the  earth  if  men  would  consult  God  before 
passing  judgment  upon  his  creations.  It  is  not  man's 
province  to  formulate  anything  but  what  will  be  a  pleas- 
ure in  his  eye.  If  he  makes  microbes  it  is  because  he 
thinks  microbe  thoughts.  When  he  thinks  God  thoughts 
he  will  form  the  beauties  of  nature  and  mankind  only, 


152  Talks  on  Truth 

and  there  will  no  longer  be  anything  in  all  his  world  that 
will  cause  a  fear  or  pang  of  pain.  God  is  not  the  author 
of  this  condition  of  so-called  "progress  from  matter 
to  mind" — God  is  the  one  source  from  which  and  of 
which  man  makes  his  existence. 

There  is  a  law  of  unfoldment  in  Being,  a  law  as 
harmonious  and  exact  as  the  progressive  steps  in  a  math- 
ematical problem  in  which  no  error  is  made;  or  in  a 
musical  production  where  discord  has  found  no  place. 
But  microbes  and  disease  germs  are  not  a  part  of  this 
Divine  Law.  They  are  as  far  removed  from  it  as  would 
be  error  in  the  steady,  careful  steps  in  the  progressive 
unfoldment  of  numbers,  or  false  notes  in  symphony  or 
song. 

It  does  not  require  labored  arguments  or  hard 
thinking  to  see  how  easily  the  problems  of  life  would  be 
made  orderly  and  Divine  if  men  would  let  the  Lord  into 
their  minds.  Jesus  said  the  yoke  was  easy  and  the 
burden  light.  He  was  victor  over  all  the  hard  conditions 
to  which  men  and  women  think  themselves  yoked,  and 
he  made  light  of  sin,  disease  and  poverty  by  annulling 
them  and  preaching  boldly,  in  the  face  of  an  adverse 
theology,  that  it  was  the  prerogative  of  the  Son  of  man 
so  to  do.  ^ 

There  is  a  royal  road  for  every  man — a  road  in 
which  he  will  be  conscious  of  that  dominion  which  is  his 
by  Divine  right.  That  road  Jesus  said  led  out  from  the 
I  AM.  As  Moses  delivered  the  children  of  Israel  from 
the  Egyptian  darkness  of  their  own  ignorance  by  af- 


How  Microbes  are   Made  153 

firming  in  their  ears  the  power  of  the  I  am,  so  Jesus 
gives  us  a  series  of  affirmations  that  will  deliver  us  from 
the  wilderness  of  ignorance.  His  command  is,  "Keep 
my  sayings."  Then  his  sayings  are  set  before  us:  "I 
AM,  the  Way,  the  Truth  and  the  Life" ;  "I  am,  the  resur- 
rection and  the  life";  "I  am,  the  light  of  the  world";  "I 
AM,  meek  and  lowly  of  heart";  "Before  Abraham  was, 

I    AM." 

"I  am"  is  the  polar  star  around  which  all  the 
thoughts  of  man  revolve.  Even  the  little  narrow  con- 
cept of  the  personal  "I  am"  may  be  led  out  into  the  con- 
sciousness of  the  great  and  only  I  am  by  filling  its 
thought  sphere  with  ideas  of  infinite  wisdom,  life  and 
love. 

"Hitch  your  wagon  to  a  star,"  said  Emerson.  Your 
wagon  is  that  which  carries  you  along.  Your  I  am  is 
that  which  carries  you  up  or  down,  to  heaven  or  to  hell, 
just  according  to  the  idea  to  which  you  have  attached 
it.  Then  "hitch  it  to  a  star"  and  let  it  carry  you  to 
the  broad  expanse  of  heaven.  There  is  room  a-plcnty— 
you  will  not  knock  elbows  with  anyone  if  you  get  out 
of  the  surging  crowd  and  hitch  your  "I  am"  to  the  star  of 
Spiritual  Understanding. 

Cease  making  microbes  and  turn  your  attention  to 
higher  things.  Make  love  alive  by  thinking  love.  Make 
wisdom  the  light  of  the  world  by  affirming  God's  omni- 
present intelligence.  See  in  mind  the  pure  substance 
of  God  and  it  will  surely  appear.  This  is  the  way 
to  destroy  microbes — this  is  the    antidote    for    disease 


154  Talks  on  Truth 

germs.  The  real,  the  enduring  things  of  God  are  to  be 
brought  into  visibility  in  just  this  simple  way.  This  is 
the  way  the  I  am  makes  itself  manifest.  It  is  so  easy 
that  the  man  of  great  intellect  passes  it  by,  it  is  so 
plain  that  a  simpleton  may  xinderstand  it,  A  college 
education  is  not  necessary.  You  do  not  have  to  know 
about  anything  whatsoever  except  God,  How  easy  it 
is,  how  light  the  burden!  No  long,  tedious  years  of 
study;  no  delving  into  depths  of  intricate  theories  and 
speculations  about  molecules,  atoms,  and  ethers;  but 
just  a  simple  childlike  attention  directed  to  the  every- 
where Spirit,  and  a  heart  filled  with  love  and  goodness 
for  everything,  "I  thank  thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven 
and  earth,  because  thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the 
wise  and  prudent,  and  hast  revealed  them  unto  babes." 

"The  soul  of  things  is  sweet,  the  heart  of  Being  is 
celestial  rest;  stronger  than  woe  is  will;  that  which  was 
Good  doth  pass  to  Better,  Best. 

"Ye  suffer  from  yourselves.  None  else  compels, 
none  other  holds  you  that  ye  live  and  die,  and  whirl 
upon  the  wheel,  and  hug  and  kiss  its  spokes  of  agony, 
its  tire  of  tears,  its  nave  of  nothingness.  Behold,  I 
show  you  truth!  Lower  than  hell,  higher  than  heaven, 
outside  the  utmost  stars,  farther  than  Brahm  doth  dwell, 
before  beginning  and  without  an  end,  as  space  eternal 
and  as  surety  sure,  is  fixed  a  Power  divine  which  moves 
to  Good;  only  ITS  laws  endure." 


THE   I   AM   IN   ITS   KINGDOM 

Why,  man,  he   doth  bestride  the  narrow  world 

Like  a  Colossus;  and  we  petty  men 

Walk  under  his  huge  legs,  and  peep  about 

To  find   ourselves   dishonorable   graves. 

Men  at  some  times  are  masters  of  their  fates; 

The  fault,  dear  Brutus,  is  not  in  our  stars, 

But  in  ourselves,  that  we  are  underlings. 

— Shakespeare. 

|DEAS  are  hinged — they  swing  in  and  they  swing 
out.  Not  every  one  has  observed  this.  But 
every  one  must  observe  it,  and  note  the  swing 
of  his  particular  ideas.  An  idea  that  swings  in  has  a 
mission.  It  is  of  the  Spirit,  and  has  power  to  do  far 
beyond  an  idea  that  swings  out  and  dissipates  its  forces 
in  the  whirl  at  the  periphery.  On  the  inner  side,  ideas 
behold  the  great  Wisdom  and  attach  themselves  to  it — 
they  then  lose  their  identity  as  limited  things  and  take 
on  the  Unlimited. 

A  single  idea  born  of  Wisdom  is  irresistible.  No 
one  can  estimate  the  power  for  good  of  an  idea  gener- 
ated in  the  center  of  the  home  of  ideas,  the  Christ  within. 
When  it  comes  from  that  great  galaxy  of  Supreme  Ideas 
it  goes  forth  in  strength  and  harmony.  It  is  a  perfect 
sphere  with  no  point  liable  to  friction  or  collision. 

A  man  once  conceived  the  idea  of  building  a  ship. 
It  was  to  be  water-tight  above  and  below.     He  put  it 


156  Talks  on  Truth 

into  visibility  and  sent  it  forth  on  the  waves.  At  first 
it  rode  the  sea  with  comparative  safety,  but  storms  came 
on,  the  waves  dashed  against  it,  and  it  went  down.  Why  ? 
Because  he  had  not  ballasted  it.  It  was  secure  above 
and  below  from  the  elements,  but  it  was  not  equalized  in 
the  rolling  waves. 

So  you  are  daily  and  hourly  conceiving  ideal  ships 
and  sending  them  out  upon  the  waves  of  the  angry  sea 
of  human  thoughts.  They  are  water-tight  apparently — 
they  carry  your  highest  aspirations  and  desires.  You 
look  longingly  for  their  return,  but  they  never  come. 
Why  is  it?  They  were  staunch  built  according  to  hu- 
man plans.  But  something  was  lacking.  You  failed 
to  put  your  soul  into  them.  They  were  shells,  without 
depth  of  hold  or  cargo  of  love. 

All  the  mental  ships  you  send  out  upon  the  turbu- 
lent seas  of  human  thought  must  be  ballasted  with  your 
heart's  love  or  they  will  eventually  founder.  They  may 
float  safely  for  a  season,  but  the  reefs  wait  for  them  in 
the  distance,  and  you  may  watch  in  vain  for  their  return. 

It  is  the  province  of  the  I  am  to  know  when  its 
ideas  are  seaworthy.  Knowing,  however,  is  a  realm  in 
Being;  it  has  place  in  the  grand  scheme  of  God,  and 
must  be  discovererd  and  appropriated  by  the  I  am  be- 
fore it  can  be  counted  a  safe  captain. 

The  I  AM  is  not  in  itself  power,  wisdom,  love;  it 
is  simply  the  vehicle  to  which  these  realities  harness 
themselves. 

In  its  right  relation  in  Being  I  am  never  possesses  or 


The  I  Am  in  Its  Kingdom  157 

owns  anything.  All  things  in  the  universe  are  its 
to  use,  but  it  must  not  claim  them  as  personal  property. 

If  the  wheel  that  rests  in  the  water  and  communi- 
cates energy  to  the  machinery  of  the  mill  should  sud- 
denly become  possessed  with  conscious  volition  and  pro- 
ceed to  dip  out  a  portion  of  the  stream  as  its  individ- 
ual property,  it  would  well  represent  the  position  of  the 
I  AM  that  attempts  to  separate  its  powers  and  capac- 
ities from  the  Universal. 

The  I  AM  is  pure  Spirit;  without  parts,  passions  or 
members  of  any  description.  It  is  the  prism  through 
which  the  white  light  of  Being  is  focused  and  refracted 
on  the  screen  of  visibility  in  multi-color. 

But  the  I  AM  is  not  inertia — it  is  ever  spurred  on 
by  an  original  impulse  to  know.  To  know  is  not  a  sim- 
ple process — it  is  complex.  That  is,  it  is  complex  when 
a  single  factor  of  Being  is  left  out  by  him  who  seeks 
to  know. 

The  I  AM  has  its  being  in  heaven;  its  home  is  in  the 
realm  of  perfect  ideals,  the  Christ  within,  but  it  has  its 
freedom.  It  loves  to  be.  To  be  is  to  enjoy.  To  enjoy 
is  for  the  time  to  be  that  which  we  enjoy.  When  you 
are  absorbed  in  the  recital  of  an  interesting  story  you 
are  lost  to  all  else.  The  I  am  is  for  the  moment  iden- 
tified with  that  which  it  enjoys.  Here  is  the  solution 
of  a  great  mystery — how  the  I  am  ever  came  to  sepa- 
rate itself  from  its  sphere  of  Wisdom. 

But  it  is  wonderfully  simple  when  you  understand 
it.      You  are  demonstrating  the  so-called   fall  of  man 


IBS  Talks  on  Truth 

every  time  you  lose  yourself  in  the  whirl  of  sense-pleas- 
ure. The  mission  of  the  I  am  is  happiness.  It  seeks  joy 
and  bliss ;  they  are  set  before  it  in  unstinted  measure  and 
it  revels  in  their  intoxicating  draughts,  but  the  mastery 
of  the  higher  mind  should  ever  be  maintained. 

But  sensations  of  pleasure  originate  in  and  depend 
for  their  vitality  upon  the  Center,  and  when  the  I  am 
follows  off  the  thing  and  forgets  the  source,  it  eventu- 
ally finds  the  pleasure  waning.  The  impetus  grows  less 
and  less  until  that  which  in  the  beginning  was  pleasure 
becomes  so  slow  of  action  that  its  inertia  leaves  the  im- 
pression of  pain. 

"Life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness"  is 
the  inherent  birthright  of  every  one  of  us.  We  exist  to 
that  end,  and  we  recognize  perpetual  joy  as  our  nat- 
ural state  by  our  constant  efforts  to  attain  it. 

That  our  efforts  are  not  always  crowned  with  suc- 
cess should  cause  us  to  pause  and  consider.  Have  we 
not  left  out  some  factor  necessary  to  happiness,  and  if 
so,  what  is  it.'' 

We  think  of  heaven  as  a  place  of  unending  hap- 
piness, and  we  have  been  taught  that  it  is  somewhere 
in  the  skies.  But  in  the  geography  of  the  universe, 
heaven  has  not  been  authoritatively  marked.  Jesus 
Christ,  of  all  those  claiming  intimate  acquaintance  with 
spiritual  things,  gave  heaven  definite  location.  He  of- 
ten referred  to  the  Father  dwelling  in  him;  he  also  told 
others  that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelt  in  them.  As  a  final 
climax  he  definitely  located  heaven  "within  you." 


The  I  Am  in  Its  Kingdom  159 

This  has  always  been  looked  upon  by  the  world's 
people  as  a  figure  of  speech,  and  even  metaphysicians 
who  have  delved  into  the  abstractions  of  mind,  have  had 
vague  ideas  about  there  being  such  a  place  as  heaven 
within  them.     They  have  said  it  was  a  state,  a  condition. 

So  it  is,  but  it  is  also  a  place.  It  is  not  outside  of 
your  body  today,  and  inside  of  it  tomorrow,  nor  is  it  sus- 
ceptible of  being  anywhere  else  but  right  at  the  center, 
to  you,  of  that  which  you  term  the  physical  man. 

This  insistence  upon  the  location  of  heaven  is  a 
startling  proposition  to  those  who  have  postulated  mind 
as  universal,  without  bounds  or  limitations. 

We  are  seeking  to  get  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
where  all  things  shall  be  added  unto  us,  and  it  is  proper 
that  we  should  know  where  that  heaven  is.  All  that  we 
really  know  about  ourselves  at  present  comes  to  us 
through  comparison  with  the  "things  that  do  appear." 
We  have  a  body,  which  we  clearly  perceive  is  moved  by 
an  invisible  principle  called  the  mind.  We  have  never 
seen  this  mind,  nor  felt  it,  nor  sensed  it  in  any  way. 

We  simply  know  that  certain  combinations  of 
thought  produce  effects  upon  the  sense  man.  This  all 
takes  place  from  our  center  of  consciousness,  our  phys- 
ical body.  Then,  so  far  as  we  are  concerned,  the  mys- 
tery of  Being  is  wrapped  up  in  and  around  that  which 
we  are  wont  to  call  clay.  Do  not  mistake  the  propo- 
sition, and  assume  that  the  physical  man  as  he  now  ap- 
pears to  your  comprehension  is  the  summum  bonum  of 
existence.     This  is  not  the  claim.     The  claim  is  that  it, 


160  Talks  on  Truth 

to  your  consciousness,  surrounds  and  gives  definite  place 
to  that  which  you  seek — "the  kingdom  of  heaven  within 
you." 

The  argument  is  frequently  brought  forward  that 
the  "lesser  cannot  contain  the  greater."  This  is  but 
a  play  upon  words,  so  far  as  the  relations  of  mind  are 
concerned.  We  know  that  in  Being  there  can  be  no 
greater  and  no  lesser.  Mind  is — it  is  not  a  thing,  but 
that  which,  through  orderly  process,  produces  the  thing. 
This  orderly  process,  we  have  learned  by  observation, 
is  from  an  invisible  center  to  a  visible  circumference. 
So  if  you  behold  anywhere  in  the  universe  a  form,  you 
may  know  that  within  that  form  is  a  potential  center 
from  which  spring  all  its  qualities. 

That  the  invisible  cause  is  or  is  not  confined  to  that 
form  is  not  essential  to  the  proposition.  So  far  as  the 
sentient  identity  of  the  form  itself  is  concerned  its  source 
of  intelligence  and  life  is  always  within,  and  it  can  never 
know  anything  about  its  cause  except  from  that  center. 

When  an  astronomer  sees  a  system  of  planets  de- 
scribing mathematical  circles,  he  knows  without  look- 
ing that  there  is  at  the  center  of  those  circles  a  power 
that  holds  them  in  place.  Every  atom  in  the  human 
body  is  a  miniature  planet  revolving  about  its  own  in- 
visible center,  and  all  the  atoms  revolve  about  a  great 
center  within.  I  have  discovered  this  to  be  an  absolute 
fact  in  my  own  experience.  I  have  by  persistent  prac- 
tice learned  to  drop  my  attention  from  the  head  to  a 
point  under  the  heart.      This  is   separating  the   I   am 


The  I  Am  in  Its  Kingdom  l6l 

from  the  personal,  or  limited  consciousness,  and  con- 
necting it  with  the  universal,  or  spiritual  consciousness, 
with  which  it  forms  a  union  at  the  point  mentioned. 
When  my  I  am  touches  this  inner  center  there  springs 
into  its  consciousness  a  wonderful  vibration,  and  to  every 
part  of  the  body  strong  currents  of  energy  are  trans- 
mitted. At  this  point  I  seem  to  be  in  touch  with  all  cre- 
ation; the  barriers  of  form  are  as  nothing;  there  is  only 
a  great  sea  of  throbbing  life.  I  am  but  a  novice  in  this 
inner  exploration,  but  I  have  penetrated  far  enough  to 
know  that  it  is  the  undiscovered  country  for  which  we 
are  all  seeking.  I  have  not  only  found  the  invisible  center 
of  my  consciousness,  but  many  sub-centers,  and  so  many 
marvelous  things  in  connection  therewith  that  I  cannot 
for  lack  of  comparisons  describe  them,  even  if  I  knew 
a  language  that  would  convey  to  the  natural  man  a  con- 
ception of  their  marvels  and  the  joy  and  satisfaction  they 
give  to  the  soul. 

I  have  proved  to  my  own  satisfaction  that  when 
Jesus  said,  "The  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you,"  he 
meant  it  literally  and  not  figuratively.  There  is  within 
every  one  a  place — a  conscious  sphere  of  mind,  having 
all  the  attractions  described  or  imagined  as  belonging  to 
heaven.  My  most  exalted  ideas  of  the  joys  of  heaven 
never  anticipated  the  ecstatic  thrill  that  suffuses  my 
whole  being  while  I  rest  in  spirit  at  this  center  within.  I 
know  that  Jesus  was  talking  about  facts  when  he  told 
his  disciples  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  would  come 
when  the  without  was  as  the  within.     This  is  my  work 


162  Talks  on  Truth 

and  your  work — to  make  this  without  conform  to  the 
within. 

It  seems  marvelous  that  we  should  be  so  totally  un- 
conscious of  this  undiscovered  country  right  under  our 
hearts.  When  I  drop  down  there  and  feel  its  sweetness 
and  lights  and  the  inner  voice  tells  me  that  this  exists 
in  every  one  just  as  it  does  in  me,  I  cannot  comprehend 
how  we  have  been  so  long  ignorant  of  it.  Yet  I  know 
that  before  the  discovery  of  the  circulation  of  the  blood 
men  knew  nothing  about  the  intricate  canal  system  within 
their  own  bodies.  Then  why  should  it  be  improbable  that 
still  deeper  within  exists  another  realm  on  a  different 
plane  ? 

But  this  kingdom  within  is  not  material — it  is  spir- 
itual. In  it  is  the  seat  of  the  King,  and  when  we  become 
suflSciently  acquainted  with  it,  we  shall  be  enabled  to 
reign  from  the  throne  which  was  prepared  for  us  from 
the  beginning. 

This  inner  country  is  the  domain  of  that  superior 
wisdom  which  we  term  the  Christ.  Jesus  called  it  the 
Father  within  him,  and  to  it  he  ascribed  all  his  power 
and  wisdom. 

It  is  not  created  for  our  especial  benefit,  nor  do  we 
evolve  it  through  thinking;  it  is  that  Word  which  was 
in  the  beginning  with  God  and  is  God — we  simply  recog- 
nize it,  and  through  that  recognition  we  realize  its  pres- 
ence. 

The  theory  that  we  are  progressing  from  a  lower 
to  a  higher  state  is  not  tenable  when  viewed  from  this 


The  I  Am  in  Its  Kingdom  163 

inner  place  of  understanding.  When  we  touch  its  shin- 
ing shore  we  suddenly  seem  to  know  that  we  are  at 
home  again;  that  there  has  somehow  been  a  departure, 
a  separation  of  the  I  am  from  its  rightful  place  in  the 
bosom  of  the  Father. 

That  the  man  has  wandered  away  from  and  lost  con- 
sciousness of  his  wisdom  sphere  is  claimed  by  all  ancient 
teachers  of  inner  truths.  The  banishment  of  Adam  from 
the  garden  of  Eden  is  an  allegory  based  upon  this  truth, 
and  the  four  gospels  reiterate  again  and  again  that  the 
mission  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  to  find  that  which  was 
lost;  not  that  man  is  lost  or  in  condemnation,  but  the  I, 
the  Man  Identity,  has  "gone  into  a  far  country";  is 
ignoring  its  Father  or  Cause. 

That  this  sphere  of  wisdom  is  present  in  what  has 
come  to  be  known  as  the  subjective  consciousness  of  man, 
is  demonstrated,  in  a  certain  measure,  in  hypnotic  ex- 
periments. The  I  of  the  hypnotized  subject  is  tempor- 
arily separated  from  the  external  and  thrown  on  to  the 
internal  plane,  where  it  functions  in  marvelous  manner 
in  matters  pertaining  to  mental  action.  This  has  given 
rise  to  the  theory  of  two  egos,  the  subjective  and  the 
objective. 

The  fact  is  that  there  is  but  one  ego,  one  I,  and 
its  domain  of  consciousness  is  not  limited  to  the  things 
of  sense,  but  should  range  all  creation  from  the  within 
to  the  without.  Instead  of  these  sporadic  cases  of  a 
higher  sense  in  man  being  considered  abnormal,  it  is 
time  we  knew  that  they  are  normal,  and  that  the  limi- 


l64  Talks  on  Truth 

tations  and  ignorance  of  the  five-sense  man  is  the  ab- 
normal. 

The  regaining  of  this  lost  consciousness  is  a  matter 
that  rests  between  man  and  God.  We  cannot  get  into 
this  "kingdom"  through  such  artificial  means  as  mes- 
merism, hypnotism,  mediumship  or  any  of  the  so-called 
short  cuts  to  spirituality. 

The  I  AM  can  never  be  coerced  or  robbed  of  its  per- 
fect freedom,  and  all  attempts  to  do  so  will  meet  with 
final  disaster.  When  we  have  once  decided  to  return  to 
the  Father's  house,  to  regain  this  lost  estate  within,  it 
is  an  easy  road.  It  may  seem  hard  at  the  start,  because 
we  have  to  throw  away  so  much  luggage,  but  it  gets 
easier  as  we  get  closer  and  closer  to  the  great  heart  of 
the  loving  Father.  A  Helper  has  been  provided,  the 
"Spirit  of  Truth  who  will  lead  you  into  all  truth" — all 
we  have  to  do  is  to  honestly  and  sincerely  seek  to  enter 
in.  "Seek  and  ye  shall  find ;  knock  and  it  shall  be  opened 
unto  you."  This  promise  is  to  every  one,  the  rich,  the 
poor,  the  ignorant  and  the  wise. 


HOW  SHALL  THE  DEAD  BE  RAISED? 

S  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ  we  are  commanded 
to  "raise  the  dead."  To  clearly  understand 
this  part  of  our  mission,  we  should  acquaint 
ourselves  with  the  philosophy  of  death;  what  it  is  and 
how  it  came  about. 

Death  is  defined  by  Webster  as  "permanent  cessa- 
tion of  all  the  vital  functions."  This,  like  all  definitions 
derived  from  sense  observation,  is  quite  incomplete.  It 
gives  us  no  idea  of  the  relation  which  death  bears  to  its 
polar  opposite,  life;  nor  of  the  process  through  which 
life  passes  in  order  to  appear  absent  in  that  which  has 
"cessation  of  the  vital  functions."  Following  this  to  a 
final  analysis  we  find  that  we  must  understand  about  life 
before  we  can  apprehend  that  appearance  of  its  absence 
in  a  form  called  dead. 

In  this,  as  in  every  other  investigation  of  Truth  from 
the  correct  premise,  we  find  that  we  can  never  get  at  its 
right  relation  by  examining  the  negative  side.  One  could 
not  correct  the  errors  in  a  mathematical  calculation  with- 
out first  understanding  the  rules  governing  numbers. 
Some  people  think  they  can  learn  about  how  to  be  healthy 
by  studying  disease ;  but  they  get  farther  and  farther  into 
disease,  until  they  turn  about  and  study  health.  Then 
when  they  have  learned  about  health,  disease  has  no  at- 
tractions for  them,  and  its  study  ceases. 


166  Talks  on  Truth 

In  metaphysics  we  find  the  early  students  insisting 
upon  having  explained  to  them  all  about  evil — how  it 
originated,  and  why  it  has  place  in  existence,  when  the 
origin  of  all  that  is,  is  good.  They  worry  and  stew,  and 
cudgel  their  thoughts  over  this  question  until  in  sheer 
desperation  they,  as  a  rule,  give  it  up.  The  tangle  of  a 
good  God  and  a  bad  devil  will  not  straighten  itself  out 
from  their  plane  of  perception.  The  trouble  is  that  they 
don't  know  enough  about  the  good.  They  want  to  know 
all  about  the  evil  without  first  being  acquainted  with  the 
positive  side  of  the  question.  They  are  like  children 
who  know  nothing  about  the  harmony  of  music,  yet  insist 
upon  a  full  explanation  of  discords  before  they  will  go 
on  with  their  lessons.  Then,  to  know  all  about  evil,  first 
get  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  good. 

So  we  find  in  our  investigation  of  the  character  and 
place  of  death,  that  studying  it  by  itself  we  can  get  no 
starting  point  for  even  a  single  fact.  It  has  no  founda- 
tion in  itself.  Every  definition  that  we  can  frame  implies 
death  to  be  the  absence  of  something,  and  we  are  forced 
to  inquire  into  that  which  is  absent  before  we  can  know 
the  meaning  of  the  condition  which  that  absence  appears 
to  have  brought  about. 

When  we  have  made  ourselves  familiar  with  Life 
we  shall  know  all  about  death  without  studying  it  at  all. 
We  shall  know  it  from  its  true  standpoint — absolute 
negation — that  which  might  be  if  Life  were  not  all. 
Those  who  worry  over  the  cause  of  evil  always  find  when 
they  drop  their  investigations  from  the  negative  stand- 


How  Shall  the  Dead  Be  Raised?  167 

point  and  go  over  to  the  positive  and  make  themselves 
familiar  with  the  good,  that  all  their  questions  are  an- 
swered by  the  Good  itself,  because  it  and  it  only,  can 
explain  all  the  vagaries  that  arise  in  the  consciousness 
where  it  is  not  permanent. 

A  study  of  Life  reveals  it  to  be  an  expression  of 
Being  that  gives  rise  to  animation,  vivacity,  vigor,  en- 
ergy. We  recognize  that  Life  may  appear  in  a  form  in 
superabundance,  accompanied  by  little  intelligence. 
Thus  we  learn  to  discriminate.  We  perceive  that  life 
has  character  distinct  in  its  expression  from  intelligence. 
We  find  that  the  life  expressed  in  and  through  our  own 
bodies  requires  the  husbanding,  directing  power  of  our 
intelligence.  Life  gives  animation  and  vigor  to  the  ani- 
mal man,  stimulating  the  lower  as  well  as  the  higher 
faculties.  Right  here  many  people  do  not  exercise  wis- 
dom in  their  living.  They  think  that  because  life  stim- 
ulates all  the  faculties  they  should  all  be  gratified  in 
the  way  which  their  desire  indicates.  The  foolish  de- 
sires of  the  animal  man  are  thus  allowed  their  full  ex- 
ercise and  the  share  of  life  force  which  should  go  to  the 
intellectual  and  spiritual  man  is  wasted,  and  he  is  robbed 
of  his  sustenance  because  he  does  not  imderstand  the  law 
of  his  being. 

We  find  that  life  is  a  principle;  that  it  is  inherent 
in  Being,  everywhere  present  at  all  times;  that  it  is 
manifest  to  consciousness  through  vehicles;  that  these 
vehicles  are  animated  by  life  according  to  their  capacity 
or  power  to  express  it;  that  that  capacity  or  power  of 


l68  Talks  on  Truth 

expression  is  governed  by  the  idea  of  life  which  is  in- 
fused into  it  by  the  generative  power  of  the  I  am. 

Electricity,  for  illustration,  is  everywhere  as  invis- 
ible potentiality.  It  may  be  brought  into  expression  and 
use  through  a  motor.  Some  people  think  that  the  size  of 
an  electric  motor  is  the  measure  of  its  power.  This  is 
not  true.  It  is  the  character  of  the  coiled  wires  within 
that  measures  its  capacity.  Fine  wire  closely  wound 
gives  power  to  the  motor.  So  a  fine,  intense,  high  per- 
ception of  life,  accompanied  by  a  burning  desire  to  ex- 
press it  in  its  purity,  marks  the  highest  form  of  the 
animated  vehicle  of  God's  vitality. 

Man,  the  highest  expression  of  God's  Life,  manifests 
it  through  an  external  vehicle  called  the  body.  Physi- 
ologists long  ago  discovered  that  it  was  not  the  size  of 
the  body,  nor  its  beauty,  that  determined  its  vitality. 

Life  in  the  body  is  governed  by  the  hold  the  I  am 
has  upon  the  idea  of  life,  coupled,  of  course,  with  judg- 
ment and  discretion  in  conservation  of  the  other  factors 
that  enter  into  its  expression.  But  let  the  idea  of  life  be 
firmly  grasped,  and  put  into  practical  use  through  thought 
and  word,  and  the  other  factors  fall  into  line. 

The  energy  generated  through  an  electrical  motor 
depends  upon  action  for  its  expression,  and  a  force  must 
be  provided  whose  oflSce  it  is  to  get  up  motion.  We  find 
a  parallel  to  this  in  making  life  manifest  in  these  human 
motors,  our  bodies.  Thinking  and  speaking  are  our 
methods  of  communicating  action  and  energy.  We  must 
think  life  into  the  living.    Jesus  at  the  raising  of  Lazarus 


How  Shall  the  Dead  Be  Raised?  169 

first  "lifted  up  his  eyes."  He  thus  through  mental  dy- 
namics connected  his  idea  of  the  universality  of  life  with 
the  Universal  Life  itself,  and  he  was  able  to  say,  "I 
thank  thee  that  thou  hast  heard  me." 

"And  when  he  had  thus  spoken  he  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  Lazarus,  come  forth !" 

We  have  here  illustrated  that  it  is  not  the  percep- 
tion alone  of  the  everywhere  presence  of  life  that  fulfills 
the  law,  but  in  order  to  make  it  manifest,  we  must  speak 
it  into  visibility. 

Yet  again;  we  may  perceive  the  truth  that  life  is 
everywhere  waiting  to  be  spoken  into  all  forms,  and  with 
a  clear  understanding  of  this  truth  may  speak  the  words 
of  life,  but  do  not  get  the  anticipated  results.  What  is 
the  reason.'' 

We  go  deeper  into  the  factors  constituting  our 
Being  and  discover  that  life  or  energy  depends  upon 
substance  through  which  to  make  itself  manifest  to  our 
consciousness.  If  we  have  wasted  our  substance  in 
riotous  living  our  word  goes  forth  without  a  vehicle. 

We  should  be  just  as  careful  of  the  stored-up  sub- 
stance of  the  consciousness,  of  which  the  body  is  the 
lower  stratum,  as  we  are  of  the  thoughts  and  words  we 
express.  If  our  substance  is  being  wasted  in  the  lusts 
of  the  flesh  our  word  will  lack  in  life-giving  qualitj'. 
Jesus  had  overcome  "the  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil." 
He  had  cast  out  of  his  consciousness  the  limitations  of 
matter — he  surmounted  the  appetites  and  passions  of 
the  animal  man,  and  dissolved  all  fear  of  evil. 


170  Talks  on  Truth 

Jesus  demonstrated  the  law  of  God  and  his  word 
was  with  power.  He  became  the  word  of  God  incarnate, 
because  he  fulfilled  all  the  requirements  of  the  Law. 

But  this  is  the  privilege  of  every  man.  Whoever 
dedicates  his  whole  life  to  the  Supreme  Good,  and 
through  devotion,  right  thinking,  right  doing,  right  act- 
ing, pure  living  and  pure  speaking  fulfills  the  law,  may 
have  all  the  power  of  Jesus.  God  is  no  respecter  of 
persons,  but  terribly  exact  in  requiring  the  observance 
of  the  law  to  the  least  j  ot  and  tittle. 

So  we  say  that  death  cannot  be  explained  without 
first  an  acquaintance  with  life,  and  an  acquaintance 
with  life  carries  with  it  an  acquaintance  with  God.  We 
find  that  every  time  we  seek  to  know  the  origin  of  an 
effect  we  must  go  back  to  the  Supreme  Cause  before  we 
get  a  complete  explanation. 

In  the  matter  of  life,  we  discover  by  following  all 
the  clues  given  us  in  our  own  experiences,  that  they 
point  to  intelligence  as  well  as  force.  In  other  words, 
life  falls  far  short  of  its  mission  if  it  is  not  equalized 
by  intelligence.  Yet  thousands  who  are  seeking  health, 
which  means  more  life,  have  no  especial  desire  to  be- 
come acquainted  with  God.  Many  think  that  health 
and  fullness  of  life  may  be  had  without  him,  and  when 
asking  the  help  of  a  metaphysician,  often  stipulate  that 
they  shall  not  be  given  any  religious  doctrines  with  the 
treatments.  They  might  with  like  consistency  engage 
a  locomotive  without  an  engineer.  All  the  ills  and  dis- 
cords of  humanity  may  be  traced  to  this  one  error — the 


How  Shall  the  Dead  Be  Raised?  171 

indiscriminate  and  thoughtless  use  of  life  separated  from 
intelligence. 

What  men  need  above  all  in  this  day  is  more  wis- 
dom— more  discretion  in  the  use  of  the  life  they  have. 
More  life  with  the  same  old  destructive  ignorance  in 
using  it  would  but  add  to  their  misery. 

Yet  God  does  not  dictate  what  shall  be  man's  choice 
in  this  or  any  other  act.  If  he  finds  the  law  through 
which  life  is  made  manifest  in  his  consciousness,  he  may 
use  it  blindly  and  ignorantly  if  he  so  elects.  But  he 
must  also  abide  the  result,  and  tliis  is  where  man  sets  up 
his  wail  of  sorrow ;  he  does  not  like  to  reap  his  sowing. 

Death  came  into  our  world  through  the  ignorant 
use  of  life,  and  death  can  only  be  put  out  by  a  wise  use 
of  life.  Death  is  the  result  of  a  wrong  concept  of  life 
and  its  use.  In  the  beginning  of  man's  experiments 
with  the  powers  of  Being  he  had  no  concept  of  death. 
His  consciousness  was  intact  and  his  unfoldment  in  wis- 
dom gradual  and  orderly.  But  his  desire  to  experiment 
predominated.  Sensation  was  sweet  and  enticing  and 
absorbed  so  much  of  his  attention  that  he  forgot  wis- 
dom— he  "hid"  from  his  Lord — and  the  result  is  an 
absence  from  his  Eden,  or  the  Divine  Harmony  of  the 
Law. 

When  there  is  disorder  in  the  working  parts  of  a 
machine  it  breaks  down  or  flies  to  pieces.  That  is  just 
what  occurred  in  man's  body.  When  intelligence  was 
no  longer  present  in  its  full  complement  in  his  conscious- 
ness there  was  lack  of  harmony,  which  resulted  in  such 


172  Talks  on  Truth 

discord  that  the  parts  flew  asunder — soul  and  body 
separated,  and  man  named  this  dissolution  death.  Then 
in  its  train,  the  fear  and  horror  caused  by  this  disso- 
lution was  imaged  into  man's  mind  and  he  made  it  a 
secondary  cause — so  we  find  the  mere  belief  of  death 
in  the  world  today  slaying  its  thousands. 

In  raising  the  dead  there  are  then  two  factors  to 
deal  with.  The  idea  of  the  reality  of  death  and  the  fear 
of  death  have  both  become  destructive  beliefs  in  the  race 
consciousness  and  they  must  be  taken  up  and  dissolved. 
The  total  unreality  of  death  must  be  portrayed  to  the 
deluded  consciousness.  The  omnipresence  and  omnip- 
otence of  life  is  beyond  dispute,  and  there  can  be  no 
question  but  that  death  is  a  condition  set  up  in  human 
consciousness  alone.  God  is  not  dead  and  does  not  rec- 
ognize or  countenance  death;  neither  does  man  when 
freed  from  its  delusion.  Jesus  said,  "Let  the  dead  bury 
their  dead.     Follow  thou  me." 

The  first  step  in  demonstrating  over  death  is  to  get 
the  belief  entirely  out  of  the  mind  that  it  is  God-ordained 
or  of  force  or  effect  anywhere  in  the  realm  of  Pure  Being. 

The  next  step  is  to  live  so  harmoniously  that  the 
whole  consciousness  shall  be  not  only  resurrected  from 
its  belief  in  death,  but  also  so  vivified  and  energized 
with  the  idea  of  undying  life  that  it  cannot  dissolve 
or  separate. 

We  regard  the  Apostle's  words,  "dead  in  trespasses 
and  sins,"  as  metaphorical.  But  an  analysis  of  man  in 
the  super-mundane  part  of  his  being,  reveals  that  sin  or 


How  Shall  the  Dead  Be  Raised?  173 

departure  from  Divine  Law  in  the  use  of  a  faculty,  ac- 
tually results  in  its  death.  That  is,  after  violent  exercise 
of  a  power  there  is  such  reaction  that  it  goes  into  a  com- 
atose state  or  "sleep  of  death."  Death  is  the  failure  on 
the  part  of  man  to  sustain  harmonious  life  in  the  body. 

Death  and  sleep  are  brothers  in  a  metaphysical 
sense.  The  life  action  is  never  wholly  withdrawn  from 
all  parts  of  a  form,  but  there  is  such  cessation  of  vitality 
that  dissolution  of  the  outer  shell  takes  place  and  it  is 
named  death.  But  Jesus  pronounced  death  to  be  sleep, 
and  that  the  sleeper  could  be  awakened  when  the  vitality 
was  restored  in  divine  order.  Jesus  said  Lazarus  was 
asleep,  and  "I  go  that  I  may  awake  him  out  of  sleep." 

But  his  disciples  did  not  see  deeply,  and  took  for 
granted  that  Lazarus  had  merely  fallen  into  a  trance  or 
prolonged  sleep,  and  said,  "Lord,  if  he  sleep,  he  shall  do 
well." 

"Then  said  Jesus  unto  them  plainly,  Lazarus  is 
dead." 

Paul  frequently  referred  to  those  who  had  dis- 
solved the  body  as  brethren  who  had  "fallen  asleep." 

The  Lord  told  Daniel,  "But  go  thou  thy  way  till 
the  end  be;  for  thou  shalt  rest,  and  stand  in  thy  lot  at 
the  end  of  the  days." — Dan  12:  13. 

Our  poets  in  their  inspired  moments  have  caught 
this  truth,  and  our  literature  is  replete  with  references 
to  the  "sleep  of  death."  Hamlet  in  his  oft-quoted  solil- 
oquy opens  to  us  in  a  remarkable  way  the  metaphysics 
of  death: 


174  Talks  on  Truth 

To  die; — to  sleep: — 
To  sleep!   perchance  to  dream:   aye,  there's  the  rub; 
For  in  that  sleep  of  death  what  dreams  may  come, 
When  we  have  shuffled  off  this  mortal  coil. 
Must  give  us  pause. 

We  are  not  afraid  to  go  to  sleep  at  night,  yet  every 
time  we  lie  down  and  fall  into  unconsciousness  of  the 
body  we  are  enacting  in  a  small  way  the  sleep  of  death. 
In  one  case  the  soul  leaves  the  body  for  a  few  hours 
and  again  takes  it  up — in  the  other  the  soul  leaves  the 
body  to  mortal  dissolution;  yet  it  does  not  fail  to  return 
in  due  time  and  take  up  a  body — so  long  as  it  believes  in 
the  limitations  of  sense.  In  the  sleep  of  a  single  night, 
the  one  with  a  clear  conscience  rests  peacefully  and  is 
strengthened  for  another  day's  experience.  But  the 
guilty,  anxious,  worried  sleeper  is  haunted  by  dreams. 

The  experience  of  the  death-sleeper  is  similar.  If 
the  life  of  such  a  one  has  been  according  to  the  Golden 
Rule  he  "wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch  about  him  and 
lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams."  His  soul  basks  in  the 
sunshine  of  a  world  elysian  and  his  hope  of  heaven  is 
for  a  season  fulfilled. 

This,  however,  is  but  the  rest  that  prepares  him  for 
another  day's  experience  in  the  work-shop  of  Being, 
and  like  Daniel,  he  must  again  "stand  in  thy  lot  at  the 
end  of  the  days."  This  process  is  repeated  again  and 
again  until  man  discovers  that  there  is  a  law  of  living 
that  obviates  this  oft-repeated  ''sleep  of  death."  That 
law  is  revealed  to  all  who  seek  to  do  the  will  of  God  and 
thereby  fulfill  the  law  of  life. 


How  Shall  the  Dead  Be  Raised?  175 

Here  is  where  we  find  ourselves  today.  We  know 
this  law  of  life  is  based  in  mind-action^  and  that  through 
the  mind  we  may  resurrect  ourselves  from  the  dead. 

As  we  explore  the  mental  realm,  which  is  our  caus- 
ative thought,  we  find  it  filled  with  a  whole  legion  of  nar- 
row beliefs,  foolish,  ignorant  beliefs,  selfish  beliefs,  and 
discordant  beliefs.  These  we  have  lumped  together  and 
denominated  "mortal  mind,"  or  "carnal  mind." 

It  is  here  we  first  do  our  "raising  of  the  dead." 
Each  of  these  beliefs  of  mortality  is  a  sin.  The  mean- 
ing of  "sin"  is  "missing  the  mark,"  and  these  sense-limi- 
tations miss  the  mark  of  divine  truth.  The  light  of  truth 
must  be  turned  into  our  consciousness  and  each  of  these 
sleepers  awakened.  Some  of  them  may  seem  for  a 
time  beyond  our  power  to  resurrect,  and  our  most  san- 
guine thoughts  lack  faith  at  the  prospect  and  cry  out, 
"Lord,  by  this  time  he  stinketh." 

But  the  Christ  power  is  with  us.  "Said  I  not  unto 
thee,  that,  if  thou  wouldest  believe,  thou  shouldest  see 
the  glory  of  God  ?  " 

All  things  are  possible  to  them  that  believe  in  the 
power  of  God  within  men  waiting  to  be  made  manifest 
at  their  word.  Then  send  forth  that  word  and  say  to 
every  sleeping  belief  of  sense,  "Lazarus,  come  forth !" 

If  you  do  not  believe  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  to 
resurrect  your  consciousness  from  its  tomb  of  earthly 
superstitions,  why  of  course  you  may  make  no  effort 
to  do  it.  But  if  you  have  faith  that  it  can  be  done,  you 
can  do  it. 


176  Talks  on  Truth 

Mental  beliefs  of  every  kind  do  take  up  their  abode 
in  the  consciousness  and  make  a  home  there.  If  you 
believe  in  old  age  and  bodily  decrepitude  and  decay, 
you  will  find  all  the  little  cells  throughout  your  organ- 
ism are  carrying  in  their  depths  just  such  pictures,  as  the 
clear  waters  of  the  lake  reflect  the  trees  and  clouds.  If 
you  want  these  obedient  little  cells  of  your  soul  and  body 
to  reflect  pictures  of  health  and  vigor  undying,  hold 
before  them  in  the  sky  of  your  mind  such  images.  Not 
only  hold  such  images  before  them,  but  demand  that  they 
shall  reflect  them  perfectly.  And  do  not  forget  to  con- 
serve your  bodily  energies  by  pure,  careful  thinking  and 
living,  in  order  that  you  may  have  the  transparent  sub- 
stance into  which  your  true  thought  images  may  be  re- 
flected, and,  in  their  course,  brought  to  fruitage. 

Many  who  are  faithful  in  holding  right  mental  im- 
ages do  not  get  results  because  they  lack  a  receptacle — 
they  let  the  lusts  of  the  flesh  dissipate  all  the  clear  wa- 
ter of  life,  and  their  good  thoughts  and  words  are  re- 
turned unto  them  void.  Guard  all  the  powers  of  your 
being  if  you  would  resurrect  them  from  the  dead.  They 
do  not  stand  alone,  but  are  dependent  one  on  another, 
and  must  all  be  brought  into  subjection  to  the  Christ 
of  God. 

Paul  said,  "Every  man  that  striveth  for  the  mastery 
is  temperate  in  all  things." 

The  resurrection  of  the  dead  is  the  sure  and  cer- 
tain work  of  the  true  Christian. 

We  know  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  example  which  we 


How  Shall  the  Dead  be  Raised?  177 

are  to  follow,  and  we  say  with  Paul,  "If  the  dead  rise 
not,  then  is  Christ  not  raised: 

"And  if  Christ  is  not  raised  your  faith  is  vain;  ye 
are  yet  in  your  sins.  Then  they  also  which  are  fallen 
asleep  in  Christ  are  perished. 

"But  now  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead,  and  become 
the  first-fruits  of  them  that  slept. 

"For  since  by  man  came  death,  by  man  came  also 
the  resurrection  of  the  dead. 

"For  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all 
be  made  alive."     And 

"The  last  enemy  that  shall  be  destroyed  is  death." 
—I  Cor.  15. 


THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF   DIVINE  LOVE 

"O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  prophets, 
and  stonest  them  which  are  sent  unto  thee,  how  often  would 
I  have  gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gather- 
eth  her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not  J" 

jESUS  weeping  over  Jerusalem  is  the  picture  of 
a  great  love  welling  up  in  the  heart  and  flow- 
ing out  unto  all  the  ends  of  the  earth — the 
love  of  the  Good  Father  for  his  erring  and  willful 
children. 

Such  is  the  love  of  Christ  for  his  own;  such  is  the 
love  of  God  through  Christ  for  all  creation. 

We  may  talk  about  the  wisdom  of  God,  but  the  love 
of  God  must  be  felt  in  the  heart.  It  cannot  be  described, 
and  one  who  has  not  felt  it  can  have  no  concept  of  it 
from  the  descriptions  of  others.  But  the  more  we  talk 
about  love  the  stronger  it  grows  in  the  consciousness,  and 
if  we  persist  in  thinking  loving  thoughts  and  speaking 
loving  words  we  are  sure  to  bring  into  our  experience 
the  feeling  of  that  great  love  that  is  beyond  description 
— the  very  love  of  God. 

It  is  popularly  taught  and  believed  that  there  is 
but  one  love — that  "God  is  Love"  and  that  all  love  is 
from  him,  hence  all  love  is  God's  love. 

Love  is  a  Divine  Principle  and  can  be  known  in 
its  purity  by  touching  it  at  its  fountain  head.  There  it 
is  not  tinged  in  any  way  by  man's  formative  thought. 


The  Development  of  Divine  Love  179 

but  flows  forth  a  pure  pellucid  stream  of  infinite  ecstacy. 
It  has  no  consciousness  of  good  or  evil,  pure  or  impure, 
but  pours  itself  out  in  great  oceans  of  living  magnetic 
power,  to  be  used  by  whomsoever  will. 

Man  has  a  faculty  through  which  he  receives  love 
from  Being — this  faculty  is  commonly  called  the  heart. 
The  heart,  however,  is  but  the  visible  expression  of  an 
invisible  center  of  consciousness.  The  sense  man  sees 
the  heart,  but  the  soul  sees  an  inner  faculty  in  man 
through  which  he  may  express  an  attribute  of  Being.  It 
is  man  who  through  his  word  calls  these  powers  into  ac- 
tivity that  he  may  manifest  God. 

Jesus  was  the  orderly  man  of  God  manifesting  un- 
der Divine  Law  the  attributes  of  Being.  Jesus  "called 
unto  him  his  disciples";  that  is,  through  his  word  he 
spiritually  quickened  and  educated  his  twelve  faculties. 
The  first  was  Peter,  the  rock  or  foundation  of  his  church 
— his  consciousness — which  is  Faith  active  in  the  think- 
ing faculty.  You  will  find  that  the  character  of  your 
whole  consciousness  depends  upon  how  you  think.  You 
may  have  great  love,  but  unless  you  guide  it  with  right 
thoughts  it  will  not  build  up  a  harmonious  consciousness. 
Love  poured  through  the  heart  of  a  mother  who  has 
fear  in  her  thought  has  shattered  the  body  of  many  a 
delicate  child.  And  the  thinker  must  be  strong  and  sure 
in  its  grasp  upon  right  thoughts.  Andrew,  brother  to 
Peter,  the  second  disciple,  represents  strength.  James 
represents  judgment,  discrimination,  the  faculty  that 
chooses  the  good  and  eschews  the  evil.     This   faculty 


180  Talks  on  Truth 

must  be  brought  out  before  Love  in  its  fullness  is  safe 
in  the  hands  of  man.  Love  has  not  will  nor  volition,  ex- 
cept as  these  are  infused  into  it  by  the  other  faculties. 
John  is  love,  and  he  leaned  on  the  Master's  bosom.  This 
is  to  symbolize  the  innocence,  tenderness  and  depend- 
ence of  love.  Peter  is  bold,  impetuous,  executive — af- 
firms his  undying  allegiance  to  the  Master  one  moment 
and  denies  him  the  next;  but  the  loyalty  and  constancy 
of  Love  was  evidenced  to  the  last. 

So   we   find   these    four    faculties    evenly   balanced 
will   form   the    foundation   of   a   harmonious   body    and 

mind. 

You  must  think,  and  think  with  faith  in  both  God 

and  yourself — that  is  Peter. 

You  must  think  with  strength  and  power — that  is 
Andrew. 

You  must  think    with    judgment    and    discretion — 

that  is  James. 

You  must  center  all  your  thought,  your  strength, 
your  judgment  in  Love — that  is  John. 

To  Peter,  the  Faithful  thinker,  is  given  the  key  to 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  he  can  never  open  the  gate 
until  he  has  reconciled  all  the  other  faculties.  Many 
people  in  this  day  have  found  how  much  depends  upon 
right  thinking,  and  they  are  counting  on  getting  into 
the  kingdom  of  health  and  harmony  through  holding 
good  thoughts  only.  They  have  not  always  taken  into 
consideration  that  the  thinking  faculty  is  merely  the  ex- 
ecutive power  in  the  consciousness   and  depends  upon 


Thk  Development  of  Divine  Love  181 

many  other  faculties  for  the  material  out  of  which  its 
thoughts  are  formed. 

To  think  without  strength  is  to  bring  forth  weakly 
— ^without  effect. 

To  think  without  judgment  is  to  bring  forth  mal- 
formed mental  creations,  good  and  evil,  spirit  and  mat- 
ter, sickness  and  health,  life  and  death,  and  the  thousand 
other  Babylonish  conditions  found  in  the  world. 

To  think  without  love  is  to  bring  forth  hate,  dis- 
cord and  inharmony. 

So  it  is  not  thought  alone  that  opens  the  way  into 
the  kingdom,  but  a  right  use  of  all  the  powers  of  mind 
and  body  centered  in  thought. 

Thinking  gives  color,  tonct,  shape,  character  to  all 
creation,  but  the  essences  or  materials  are  drawn  from 
the  realms  of  Spirit. 

So  we  find  in  the  world,  love  so  turned  awry  by 
wrong  thinking  that  it  does  not  represent  God.  In  its 
beginning  it  came  forth  from  God,  but  it  has  been  taken 
into  the  "far  country"  of  error-thought  and  there  wasted 
in  riotous  living. 

Error-thought  has  put  greed  into  love,  and  we  have 
the  "root  of  all  evil,"  the  love  of  money. 

Error-thought  has  said  to  love,  "We  are  flesh  and 
blood;  this  is  my  child,  this  is  my  husband,  my  father, 
my  mother,  my  sister,  my  brother.  We  are  separate 
from  others."  Thus  error-thought  has  made  Love  to 
serve  it  in  family  selfishness. 

"And   he   looked   round   about  on  them   which   sat 


182  Talks  on  Truth 

about  him,  and  said.  Behold  my  mother  and  my  breth- 
ren! For  whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  God,  the  same 
is  my  brother,  and  my  sister  and  mother."  This  is  the 
love  of  God  in  its  purity,  fresh  from  the  fountain  head. 

Wherever  love  is  tainted  with  selfishness  we  may 
know  that  error-thought  has  made  muddy  its  clear 
stream  and  it  has  just  to  that  extent  ceased  to  represent 
the  purity  in  which  it  exists  in  the  Father. 

Love  is  the  drawing  power  of  mind.  It  is  the  mag- 
net of  the  universe  and  about  it  may  be  clustered  all  the 
attributes  of  Being  by  one  who  thinks  in  Divine  Order. 

Many  who  have  found  the  law  of  true  thinking  and 
its  effect,  wonder  why  supply  does  not  come  to  them 
after  months  and  years  of  holding  thouglits  of  boimty. 
It  is  because  they  have  not  developed  love.  They  have 
formed  the  right  image  in  mind,  but  the  magnet  that 
draws  the  substance  from  the  storehouse  of  Being  has 
not  been  set  into  action. 

To  demonstrate  supply  we  must  think  supply,  and 
thus  form  it  in  the  consciousness.  We  must  also  con- 
serve all  the  ideas  of  substance  in  the  mind — and  also  the 
fluids  of  the  body,  their  representatives — because  we 
must  have  a  base  for  our  form.  We  must  vibrate  the 
love  center  in  thought,  word  and  act.  Then  there  will 
come  to  us  on  the  wings  of  invisibility  that  to  satisfy 
every  need.  This  is  the  secret  of  demonstrating  plenty 
from  the  invisible  ethers,  and  without  any  external  ef- 
fort whatsoever. 

"Love  taketh  no  account  of  evil." 


The  Development  of  Divine  Love  188 

Love  never  sees  anything  wrong  in  that  which  it 
loves.  If  it  did  it  would  not  be  pure  Love.  Pure  Love 
is  without  discriminating  power.  It  simply  pours  itself 
out  upon  the  object  of  its  attraction  and  takes  no  ac- 
count of  the  result.  By  so  doing  Love  sometimes  casts 
its  pearls  before  swine,  but  its  power  is  so  great  that  it 
transforms  all  it  touches. 

Do  not  be  afraid  to  pour  out  your  love  upon  all  the 
so-called  evil  in  the  world.  Deny  the  appearance  of 
evil  and  affirm  the  all  power  and  everywhere  presence 
of  Love  and  Goodness.  Take  no  account  of  the  evil  that 
appears  in  your  life  and  affairs.  Refuse  to  see  it  as  evil. 
Declare  that  what  seems  evil  has  somewhere  a  good 
side,  which  shall,  through  your  persistent  affirmation  of 
its  presence,  be  made  visible.  By  this  creative  power 
of  your  own  thought  you  change  that  which  seemed  evil 
into  good,  and  Love  will  pour  its  healing  balm  over  all. 
Sickness  is  not  good,  because  it  is  not  of  God,  but 
he  who,  through  past  ignorant  thoughts  and  acts,  finds 
himself  in  its  grasp,  can  more  quickly  get  out  by  af- 
firming it  to  be  a  good  lesson  for  him,  which  he  shall 
take  to  his  heart  and  profit  by.  If  he  wail  and  bemoan 
his  sad  fate,  he  is  throwing  into  the  healing  waters  of 
Love  the  shadow  of  gloom,  and  it  will  to  him  be  dark- 
ened to  that  extent. 

Always  remember  that  Love  is  the  great  Magnet  of 
God.  It  is  of  itself  neither  good  nor  evil.  These  are 
qualities  given  to  it  by  the  thinking  faculty  in  man. 
Whatever  you  see  for  your  Love  that  it  will  draw  to 


184  Talks  on  Truth 

you,  because  as  a  magnet  it  attracts  whatever  you  set 
your  desire  upon.  To  focus  your  love  about  self  and 
selfish  aims  will  cause  it  to  draw  around  you  the  lim- 
ited things  of  personality  and  the  hollow  shams  of  the 
sense  life.  To  focus  love  upon  money  and  the  possess- 
ions of  the  material  world  will  make  you  the  slave  of 
mammon,  and  your  life  will  be  a  failure  and  a  disap- 
pointment. To  focus  your  love  upon  anything  less  than 
the  All-Good  will  eventually  prove  short  of  your  high- 
est aspiration,  and  you  will  find  yourself  outside  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven. 

"Love  suflereth  long  and  is  kind." 

Love  does  not  resent  injuries.  It  does  not  take 
affront  and  insult  into  account.  Pure  Love  does  not 
recognize  personality,  hence  when  one  is  in  the  con- 
sciousness of  Love  he  cannot  be  hurt  or  suffer  at  what 
may  be  said  to  him  or  about  him.  "A  soft  answer  turn- 
eth  away  wrath"  is  ever  on  the  lips  of  Love,  and  who- 
ever makes  this  his  thought-focus  will  reduce  to  peace 
and  harmony  the  rising  tide  of  impatience  and  anger 
that  may  be  surging  about  him. 

One  with  strong  love  and  the  right  focal  idea  may 
control  turbulent  multitudes  by  his  silent  thought  alone. 

When  we  speak  of  the  power  of  Love  it  should  be 
understood  that  we  mean  power  exercised  through  Love. 
Power  is  a  faculty  of  mind.  It  associates  itself  with 
some  other  faculty  and  in  conjunction  with  it  is  made 
manifest.  In  the  relation  of  man's  faculties  in  Divine 
Mind,  Power  and  Love  are  associated  in  action,  but  in 


The  Development  of  Divine  Love  185 

man's  present  concept  of  that  relation  he  has  associated 
intellect  and  power.  From  this  wrong  relation  arise 
the  tryanny  and  oppression  so  evident  in  the  world. 

Power  should  never  be  exercised  except  through 
Love.  Whoever  associates  his  power  and  intellect  and 
attempts  in  a  blind  way  to  force  to  fulfillment  his  de- 
sires, will  always  bring  about  discord  and  unrighteous 
oppression. 

Power  cannot  be  used  successfully  through  intel- 
lect, because  intellect  lacks  wisdom.  Wisdom  associates 
itself  with  Love,  and  can  be  found  in  its  purity  only 
at  the  heart  center,  hence  we  speak  of  the  "still,  small 
voice  within."  Elijah  found  that  the  voice  of  God  was 
not  in  the  wind,  in  the  earthquake  or  the  fire — these  be- 
ing of  the  intellect — but  the  "still,  small  voice." 

Intellect  is  not  wise.  Wisdom  is  not  its  office.  In- 
tellect is  the  executive  officer  of  Wisdom,  and  can  do 
right  only  when  faithfully  carrying  out  the  instructions 
of  its  Principal. 

We  see  how  dangerous  to  the  welfare  of  man  it  is 
for  Intellect  to  assume  knowledge  and  call  upon  Power 
to  help  it  in  carrying  out  its  ignorant  ideas.  Power  is 
the  faculty  in  mind  that  propels  outwardly,  and  must 
necessarily  have  balance  in  some  other  faculty,  in  order 
to  hold  its  equilibrium.  There  is  but  one  other  faculty 
that  has  opposite  action,  and  that  is  Love,  whose  office 
is  attraction.  Thus  when  Power  and  Love  are  asso- 
ciated the  centrifugal  and  the  centripetal  forces  of  Be- 
ing are  equalized  in  man,  and  he  harmonizes  all  the  work 


186  Talks  on  Truth 

given  him  to  do  by  the  Lord  God,  and  his  dominion  over 
the  forces  of  Being  is  exercised  in  peace  and  harmony. 
Peace  and  harmony  are  the  focalizing  ideas  that  chord 
with  the  divine  nature  of  Love,  and  when  they  are  asso- 
ciated in  the  mind  there  is  no  limit  to  man's  power.  It 
is  said,  by  those  who  know  the  power  of  spiritual  forces, 
that  one  man  developed  large  enough  in  Love  might  dis- 
solve this  planet  with  his  word.  But  one  so  developed 
would  never  do  anything  to  in  any  way  interfere  with  the 
life  and  rights  of  another.  Love  does  not  take  offense, 
and  surely  its  very  last  thought  should  be  to  offend. 

Among  a  certain  class  of  Hindoo  mystics  are  those 
called  Bhakti,  or  disciples  of  Love.  They  know  the 
power  of  Love  to  protect  and  care  for  them,  and  they 
cultivate  it  until  all  nature  is  in  love  with  and  befriends 
them.  Thousands  of  the  common  people  are  killed  an- 
nually in  India  by  serpents  and  wild  animals,  yet  these 
mystics  have  so  brought  forth  the  power  of  love  in  them- 
selves that  serpents  and  savage  animals  do  not  injure 
them.  They  live  in  the  wildest  jungles,  and  during 
periods  of  silent  devotion,  lasting  sometimes  weeks  and 
even  months,  the  open  forest  is  their  home.  Cases  are 
recorded  where  birds  have  built  their  nests  in  the  hair 
of  such  a  sleeping  devotee  during  a  period  of  silence. 
They  respect  the  rights  of  the  tiniest  insect,  and  under 
no  circumstances  kill  anything  or  interfere  with  it  in 
any  way.  This  is  putting  Love  to  practical  test,  and  it 
always  proves  its  Divine  origin  and  power. 

You  may  trust  Love  to  get  you  out  of  your  difficul- 


The   Development  of   Divine  Lovb  187 

ties.  There  is  nothing  too  hard  for  it,  if  you  put  your 
confidence  in  it  and  act  without  dissimulation.  But  do 
not  talk  love  and  in  your  heart  feel  resentment.  This 
will  bring  discord  to  your  members  and  rottenness  to 
your  bones.  Love  is  candor  and  frankness.  Deception 
is  in  no  part  of  Love,  and  he  who  tries  to  use  it  in  that 
sort  of  company  will  prove  himself  a  liar,  and  Love  will 
desert  him  in  the  end. 

There  is  no  envy  in  Love.  Love  is  satisfaction  in 
itself.  Not  that  satisfaction  with  personal  self  and  its 
possessions  and  attractions,  which  is  but  vanity,  but  an 
inner  satisfaction  that  sees  good  everywhere  and  in  ev- 
erybody. It  insists  that  all  is  good,  and  by  refusing  to 
see  anything  but  good,  that  quality  finally  appears  up- 
permost in  itself  and  all  things.  When  only  good  is 
seen  and  felt  how  can  there  be  anything  but  satisfaction? 

The  one  who  has  found  this  inner  Love,  and  lets  it 
pour  its  healing  currents  into  his  soul  and  body,  is  for- 
tunate beyond  all  description.  Instead  of  envying  an- 
other, the  desire  is  to  show  others  the  great  joy  which 
may  be  theirs  when  they  have  opened  out  the  flood-gates 
of  their  love  nature. 

Truly,  "Love  envieth  not." 

Yet  with  all  these  glorious  possessions,  beyond  the 
power  of  man  to  describe,  "Love  vaunteth  not  itself — 
is  not  puffed  up."  Love  does  not  brag  about  its  demon- 
strations. It  simply  lives  the  life,  and  lets  its  works 
speak  for  it. 

Love  does  not  seek  its  own.     It  does  not  make  ex- 


188  Talks  on  Truth 

ternal  effort  to  get  anything,  not  even  that  which  intel- 
lect claims  belongs  to  it.  It  is  here  that  Love  proves  itself 
to  be  the  invisible  magnet  that  draws  to  man  what- 
ever he  needs.  But  instead  of  leaving  this  department 
of  the  work  to  Love,  the  intellect  has  seen  what  it  want- 
ed, and  then,  in  its  cumbersome  way,  gone  about  the  get- 
ting. Thus  the  real  begetting  power  in  man  has  been 
ignored  until  its  true  office  has  been  forgotten  and  its 
power  suppressed. 

When  Love,  the  universal  magnet,  is  brought  into 
action  in  the  consciousness  of  our  race  it  will  change 
all  our  methods  of  support  and  supply.  It  will  harmo- 
nize all  the  forces  of  nature,  and  the  discords  that  now 
infest  earth  and  air  will  disappear.  It  will  control  the 
elements  until  they  shall  obey  man,  and  bring  forth 
that  which  will  supply  all  his  needs  without  the  sweat 
of  his  face.  This  earth  shall  yet  be  made  Paradise 
through  the  power  of  Love. 

That  condition  will  begin  to  set  in  for  each  one  of 
us  just  as  soon  as  we  develop  the  love  nature  in  ourselves. 

When  Love  has  begun  its  silent  pulsations  at  our 
solar  center  no  one  can  keep  us  in  want  or  poverty. 
Love  itself  will  draw  unto  us  in  the  invisible  currents  of 
the  inner  ether  all  that  belongs  to  us;  and  all  belongs  to 
us  that  we  require  to  make  us  happy  and  contented. 

This  mighty  magnet  is  a  quality  of  God  that  is  ex- 
pressed through  man,  and  it  cannot  be  suppressed  by 
any  outside  force.  No  environment  or  external  condi- 
tion can  keep  back  Love  when  once  you  have  firmly  de- 


The  Development  of  Divine  Love  189 

cided  in  mind  to  give  it  expression.  The  present  unlov- 
ing condition  of  the  world  is  no  bar  to  you;  in  fact,  it  is 
an  incentive.  You  will  know  as  you  begin  to  make  Love 
manifest  how  great  a  sinner  you  have  been — how  far 
short  you  have  fallen  in  making  yourself  the  man  or 
woman  of  God.  This  will  show  you  by  comparison  how 
greatly  you  have  missed  the  mark  of  the  high  calling, 
which  is  yours  in  Christ. 

We  have  all  been  taught  the  beauties  of  Love  and 
its  great  power  in  the  world,  but  no  one  has  explained 
that  it  has  a  center  of  action  in  the  body  that  was  de- 
signed by  the  Creator  to  do  a  specific  work.  The  man 
or  woman  who  has  not  developed  the  love  center  is  ab- 
normal, is  living  in  partial  exercise  only  of  conscious- 
ness. The  love  center  has  its  nerves  and  muscles  in  the 
body,  which  through  neglect  have  become  atrophied  in 
nearly  the  whole  race.  But  they  are  just  as  necessary 
to  the  perfect  man  as  the  legs  and  arms ;  and  even  more 
80,  because  with  the  love  center  active  one  might  live  hap- 
pily and  successfully  without  legs  or  arms. 

The  body  is  the  instrument  of  the  mind,  and  no 
one  has  ever  seen  his  real  body  as  it  is  in  the  sight  of 
God,  except  through  the  mind.  The  body  of  flesh,  bones 
and  blood  that  the  eye  of  sense  beholds  is  not  the  true 
body  any  more  than  the  heart  of  flesh  is  the  true  organ 
of  Love. 

The  true  body  is  an  electrical  body;  an  indestructi- 
ble body,  and  this  body  of  flesh  is  the  grosser  vibration 
which  the  sense-consciousness  beholds.     But  the  Spirit- 


190  Talks  on  Truth 

body  is  not  absent  or  dead,  but  simply  inactive.  When 
through  purification  of  his  ideas  and  acceleration  of  his 
mental  energies  man  comes  into  sight  of  the  real  forces 
of  Being,  his  whole  body  is  quickened  into  new  life,  and 
the  body  of  flesh  responds  to  its  vibrations.  This  is  done 
through  the  mind — through  thinking  right  thoughts  and 
doing  right  things  also,  because  man  is  in  ultimate  a  unit, 
and  the  thinking  and  doing  cannot  be  separated. 

To  develop  the  love  center  commence  by  affirming, 
"From  this  time  forth  and  forevermore  I  shall  know 
no  man  after  the  flesh.  I  shall  not  see  men  and  women 
as  body  and  mortal  thought.  I  shall  always  behold  them 
with  the  eye  of  Love,  which  sees  only  perfection."  Ask 
daily  that  Love  be  made  alive  in  you;  that  she  take  up 
her  abode  at  your  magnetic  center  and  make  it  alive  with 
her  strong,  steady  pulsations  of  spiritual  energy. 

Let  your  attention  rest  for  a  few  moments  every 
day  at  the  heart  center  in  your  body  while  you  declare 
silently : 

"You  are  the  abode  of  Love.  You  are  filled  and 
thrilled  with  the  mighty  magnetic  forces  which  she  uses 
to  do  her  work.  You  are  powerful  and  active  to  do  only 
good,  and  see  only  goodness  and  purity  everywhere." 

Many  people  say  they  cannot  see  love  in  others  who 
are  not  so  manifesting — that  they  do  not  feel  loving 
themselves,  and  cannot  therefore  exercise  love.  But 
this  development  of  your  own  love  center  will  make  you 
see  it,  just  as  the  eye  sees  light.  It  is  diflBcult  to  feel 
love  with  a  dormant  love  organ,  but  exceedingly  easy 


The  Dkvilopment  of  Divine  Loye  191 

when  that  organ  commences  to  exercise  its  inherent  po- 
tentialities. 

Love  is  in  the  world  in  a  diluted  form  as  affection 
between  husband  and  wife,  parents  and  children,  friend 
and  friend,  but  it  can  be  made  manifest  in  its  original 
strength  and  purity  by  each  man  and  woman  going  to 
the  fountain  head,  and  letting  its  mighty  currents  stream 
forth. 

Sex  lust  has  diverted  the  vital  forces  in  the  body 
away  from  the  love  center,  the  solar  plexus,  and  it  is  al- 
most dormant  in  many  men.  When  a  pure-minded  wom- 
an sends  forth  her  desire  for  love  such  men  interpret  it 
sexually  and  are  excited  to  lust.  Love  is  disappointed, 
and  loathing  of  the  ignorant  animal  eventually  follows. 
Love  is  not  sex  lust. 

The  love  of  God  for  his  children  is  beyond  descrip- 
tion,— a  love  so  tender  and  deep  that  it  cannot  be  men- 
tioned in  the  same  breath  with  the  ordinary  love  as 
known  by  the  world. 

This  great  love  of  Being  can  be  made  known  only 
on  its  own  plane,  and  man  must  have  awakened  within 
him  the  capacity  to  feel  a  mighty  love — a  love  deeper 
and  wider  than  all  the  thoughts  and  words  of  men  have 
compassed  since  the  beginning  of  language — before  he 
can  comprehend  how  great  is  the  love  of  God. 

But  only  the  meek  and  lowly  in  heart  may  know  the 
depths  of  the  Father's  love.  It  is  not  revealed  to  the 
self-sufficient,  because  they  do  not  open  the  way  through 
their  own  childlike,  innocent  hearts. 


192  Talks  on  Truth 

The  Father  yearns  to  have  his  love  felt  by  us  every 
one.  He  has  given  us  the  capacity  to  feel  it,  and  he 
waits  until  we  develop  it  and  open  our  souls  to  the  flood 
of  good  that  he  will  pour  out  to  us  through  his  all-suf- 
ficient love. 

Father,  Almighty!  We  bow  before  thy  goodness, 
and  invoke  in  prayer  and  supplication  thy  silent  pres- 
ence as  Love.  May  its  steady  currents  of  power  draw 
us  into  thy  mighty  arms  where  we  shall  rest  secure  from 
all  the  buffets  of  the  world.  We  come  as  little  children 
into  the  sacred  precincts  of  thy  Love,  knowing  full  well 
that  no  hand  of  force  ever  finds  a  welcome  here. 

Open  to  us  the  inner  peace  and  harmony  which  are 
born  of  Love.  Let  all  fear  depart  from  our  minds  as 
the  shadows  at  morning  light.  Let  us  bask  forever  in 
the  sunshine  of  perpetual  Love!  thy  Love — thy  never- 
failing  Love!    Amen. 


THE  MINISTRY  OF  THE  WORD 

I  HIS  question  of  the  Word  of  God,  its  character 
and  office,  and  its  relation  to  man,  is  one 
widely  discussed  by  the  theological  world. 
The  statement  made  by  John  at  the  opening  of  his 
gospel  is  of  deep  metaphysical  import,  and  has  always 
been  a  stumbling-block  to  believers  in  a  personal  God. 
Only  one  who  understands  mind,  its  laws  and  inheren- 
cies,  can  grasp  the  proper  relation  between  God  and 
his  Word  as  here  presented  by  John. 

It  is  interpreted  to  mean  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth; 
and  so  it  does  in  a  free  application  of  a  unirersal  con- 
sciousness manifesting  through  an  individual.  But  this 
is  a  limited  view  of  the  question,  and  does  not  touch  the 
vital  points  of  the  Word  and  its  relation  to  man  and  aU 
creation. 

John  says  that  "all  things  were  made  by  him;  and 
without  him  was  not  anything  made  that  was  made." 
However,  this  does  not  cover  the  point — it  omits  to 
state  that  there  is  a  vital  connection  still  existing  be- 
tween the  things  made  and  the  maker. 

This  is  where  theology  has  wandered  away  from 
the  very  present  sentient  and  vitally  active  Spirit  per- 
meating all  things,  man  not  excepted. 

It  is  here  also  that  the  very  essence  of  the  pure 
metaphysical  doctrine  propounded  and  demonstrated  by 
Jesus  Christ  has  its  greatest  virtue. 


194  Talks  on  Truth 

It  is  not  a  doctrine  of  "has  beens,"  not  a  statement 
of  creation  on  ^^osf  mortem  grounds,  but  its  vitality  is 
in  it.  It  lives  with  a  life  and  vigor  that  is  in  no  wise 
lost  in  the  recital  of  what  occurred  in  the  misty  past, 
nor  what  may  occur  in  the  problematical  future. 

Jesus  Christ  was  imbued  with  a  spirit  purely  his 
own.  He  did  not  borrow  his  mission,  nor  his  words,  nor 
his  precepts  from  Egypt,  Persia  or  India.  He  was  a 
genius  that  burned  with  his  own  wick  and  oil.  He  was 
not  a  child  of  tradition,  nor  did  he  allow  the  muggy 
thought  of  Jewry  to  befog  his  midday  mind.  He  was  not 
a  Son  of  God  by  proxy,  but  appeared  in  person  and  pre- 
sented his  heavenly  credentials.  There  was  not  in  his 
whole  history  and  ministry  a  single  loop-hole  for  the 
belief  in  absence  or  apartness  of  God.  Herein  lies  the 
appropriateness  of  our  claim  to  him  as  a  forerunner  of 
the  doctrine  we  advocate.  He  is  our  elder  brother,  and 
to  him  we  are  indebted  for  the  clearest  presentation  of 
Spiritual  Science  that  has  ever  been  given  to  the  world. 

It  is  of  vital  importance  how  a  doctrine  is  pre- 
sented. Some  people  think  it  is  only  necessary  to  talk 
religion  in  flowing  words  and  heavenly  tones.  This  is 
one  way,  but  Jesus  did  not  adopt  it.  His  presentation 
was  peculiar  in  that  it  carries  with  it,  and  illustrates 
by  its  works,  that  it  has  a  basis  more  enduring  than 
mere  metaphysical  presumption. 

The  imagination  will  carry  out  any  idea  or  set  of 
ideas  that  the  I  reflects  into  it,  hence  theories  are  not  to 
be  trusted.     There    must    be    evidence    in    works.     To 


The  Ministry  of  thk  Word  195 

produce  works  there  must  be  a  working  power.  This 
is  exactly  what  the  Word  is — the  working  power  of 
God. 

Every  process  that  we  khow  anything  about  has  its 
regular  advancing  steps  from  inception  to  conclusion, 
and  these  steps  are  taken  according  to  recognized  prin- 
ciples. 

The  student  of  languages  must  have  intelligence  as 
a  base  of  operation,  next  he  must  have  ideality,  and 
next  expression.  To  leave  out  one  of  these  factors  is 
to  thwart  the  end  sought. 

Who  can  learn  a  language  without  the  ideal  upon 
which  to  form  his  concepts?  Then  who  can  express 
that  language  without  the  word  through  which  to  con- 
vey to  the  listening  ear  the  inner  ideal? 

Herein  is  the  Word  of  God  prototyped.  It  is  that 
which  conveys  to  the  world  the  concepts  of  the  Most 
High.  It  is  not  the  Most  High  in  his  wholeness,  but 
it  carries  with  it  the  power  behind  the  throne,  because 
"these  three  are  one" — the  Father  (Principle),  the 
Son  (the  Ideal),  and  the  Holy  Ghost  (the  Formative 
Word). 

These  three  are  also  minimized  in  each  individual, 
and  through  every  ego  is  being  poured  all  the  powers  of 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost  just  to  the  extent  that  the 
ego  recognizes,  acknowledges  and  appropriates  them. 
They  are  in  the  world  as  Omnipresent  Principle,  and 
have  an  abiding  place  everywhere,  because  they  are 
as  ubiquitous  as  the  air.     No  man  lives  a  moment  with- 


196  Talks  on  Truth 

out  them,  yet  few  men  recognize  them — "The  light 
shineth  in  darkness  and  the  darkness  comprehendeth 
it  not." 

"There  was  a  man  sent  from  God,  whose  name  was 
John."  This  is  a  step  from  darkness  to  light.  John 
is  the  sense-consciousness  turned  toward  the  creative 
light.  It  is  not  that  light  itself,  but  bears  witness  of 
that  light — recognizes  it,  and  proceeds  to  clear  the  way ; 
tears  down  the  walls  of  darkness  that  shut  that  light 
from  the  view  of  the  purblind  ego,  not  blind  from  choice, 
but  in  its  own  conceits.  This  is  the  darkness  into  which 
the  light  shines,  and  where  it  is  not  comprehended. 

But  John  "bears  witness  of  the  Light."  Whoso- 
ever testifies  in  the  favor  of  Truth,  though  he  be  far 
removed  from  its  brightness,  is  its  friend,  and  is  mak- 
ing straight  the  way  for  its  full  blaze  into  his  conscious- 
ness. 

Light  in  the  Scriptures  always  means  intelligence, 
hence  that  which  shines  into  the  consciousness,  and  is 
not  comprehended  by  it,  is  the  clear  revealing  on  the 
plane  of  Spirit  of  that  higher  truth  which  Spirit  alone 
comprehends. 

To  catch  in  his  understanding  this  light,  man  must 
rise  out  of  the  sense  state  into  the  realm  of  free  ideas. 
Here  is  where  the  Word  does  its  work;  here  it  is  that 
"all  things  were  made  by  him,  and  without  him  was  not 
anything  made  that  was  made." 

Outside  of  pure  metaphysics  (and  by  pure  meta- 
physics is  meant  a  clear  understanding  of  the  realm  of 


The  Ministry  of  the  Word  197 

ideas  and  their  legitimate  expression)  there  can  be  no 
correct  interpretation  of  this  peculiar  statement:  "With- 
out him  was  not  anything  made  that  was  made."  This 
implies  that  there  is  a  making  which  is  not  legitimate 
— not  in  accordance  with  principle  inherent  in  Being. 

Those  who  have  made  a  study  of  Mind  from  an 
independent  standpoint,  that  is,  have  opened  themselves 
to  the  influx  of  original  ideas  from  Spirit,  have  dis- 
covered, in  manner  inexplicable  to  mortal  sense,  that 
there  are  apparent  creations  which  are  not  creations 
at  all,  but  transitory  formations  that  lose  their  cohe- 
sion and  dissolve  when  their  mental  sustenance  is  with- 
drawn. 

These  formations  are  produced  by  the  mentality 
working  independent  of  its  wisdom  sphere.  They  are 
not  permanent,  because  they  lack  in  that  which  is  es- 
sential to  the  permanent, — harmony.  There  can  be 
no  creation  without  a  creator,  and  there  being  but  one 
Creator  there  can  be  but  one  creation. 

God  is  the  origin  of  all,  and  from  him,  in  orderly 
steps  through  his  Perfect  Idea  (Son)  and  Wise  Builder 
(Holy  Ghost),  all   creation  proceeds. 

The  Son  (man)  looks  to  the  Father  for  all  instruc- 
tion, and  the  Father  responds  to  his  demands  by  send- 
ing forth  the  Holy  Spirit  equipped  with  wisdom  and 
power  necessary  to  perform  the  work. 

Man  stands  in  the  God-head  as  the  imaging  fac- 
ulty. He  gives  form,  outline,  condition,  relation  to  the 
infinite   possibilities   of   the   formless;   but   the   formless 


198  Talks  on  Truth 

knows  how  it  should  be  formed  to  be  enduring,  and  this 
knowledge  is  communicated  to  man,  along  with  the 
power  to  form,  when  he  looks  for  it  and  acknowledges  it. 
His  failure  to  ask  for  this  wisdom  does  not  nullify  his 
formative  powers,  however,  because  he  is  by  nature  the 
formative  faculty  of  Being. 

Hence,  when  man  ignores  the  wisdom  of  the  Spirit 
and  proceeds  to  build  his  world  independently,  he  makes 
many  states  and  conditions  which  are  not  made  at  all; 
they  are  merely  malformations,  and  must  of  necessity 
fall  to  pieces  of  their  own  disproportion. 

All  states  are  mental  states.  There  is  nothing  else 
in  all  the  universe,  visible  or  invisible.  Whoever  im- 
agines anything  else  is  throwing  on  the  screen  of  his 
universe  the  crude  pictures  of  an  uninspired  mentality. 
Such  pictures  last  for  a  season,  but  their  own  discords 
are  their  final  destruction. 

So  in  the  very  nature  of  things  a  way  must  exist 
whereby  man  may  form  his  consciousness  in  harmony 
and  consequent  permanency.  That  way  is  in  and 
through  his  acknowledgment  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the 
Word  of  God. 

This  is  that  quality  of  Being  that  knows.  It  is  pure 
knowing,  and  he  who  cultivates  it  becomes  so  filled  with 
understanding  that  he  intuitively  perceives  the  right  of 
every  question  or  proposition  submitted  to  him.  He 
does  not  have  to  study  books  nor  have  experience  in 
the  realm  of  things. 

Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  an  enigma  to  the  worldly 


The  Ministry  of  the  Word  199 

wise  of  Judea.  They  wondered  where  he  got  his  un- 
derstanding, never  having  studied  letters.  But  he  did 
not  claim  to  have  wisdom  of  himself;  he  recognized  its 
true  source  in  the  Father — "The  words  I  speak  unto 
you  are  not  mine,  but  the  Father  dwelling  in  me." 

So  every  one  coming  into  conscious  recognition  of 
the  Mind  of  Spirit  knows  that  he  knows  without  hav- 
ing learned  through  any  of  the  avenues  recognized  as 
necessary  by  the  intellectual  man.  It  is  not  a  system 
of  reasoning  from  premise  to  conclusion,  but  a  direct 
summing  up  of  the  whole  case  in  Omnipresent  Knowing. 

The  why  and  wherefore  of  this  may  be  explained 
to  those  who  have  in  even  a  small  measure  disentangled 
the  ego  from  the  sense  mind.  It  requires  a  degree  of 
familiarity  with  principles.  If  you  can  comprehend  a 
state  where  Pure  Mind  exists  free  from  the  limitations 
of  time,  space  and  condition,  you  can  grasp,  in  a  degree, 
the  working  field  of  pure  knowing. 

There  is  within  every  man  such  a  place — the 
"Secret  Place  of  the  Most  High."  When  man  finds  this 
place  and  accepts  its  privileges  as  his,  he  is  let  into 
the  realm  of  pure  metaphysics,  where  Mind  alone  with 
all  its  transcendent  powers  holds  free,  untrammeled 
sway.  This  is  the  point  in  every  man  where  God  joins 
hands  with  him,  and  where  the  Word  of  God  finds  en- 
trance into  his  mentality.  It  is  here  tliat  man  under- 
stands what  it  is  to  be  inspired  by  the  Spirit  to  say  and 
do  those  things  extraordinary  in  the  sight  of  the  world. 

Peter  was  besought  by  Simon  Magus  to  teach  him 


200  Talks  on  Truth 

the  secret  of  this  superior  magic,  but  he  was  not  able  to 
do  so.  It  was  not  for  sale  for  money  consideration.  It 
can  only  be  had  for  love  and  obedience. 

He  who  would  pick  this  fruit  from  the  tree  of  life 
must  himself  reach  up  and  get  it.  He  must  aspire  to  it  first, 
and  then  in  prayer  and  true  word  act  as  if  he  had  al- 
ready received  it;  that  is,  he  must  go  right  ahead  preach- 
ing the  gospel,  healing  the  sick  and  doing  the  other  com- 
mandments of  the  Master,  exactly  as  if  he  were  already 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 

When  the  disciples  of  Jesus  wanted  to  forbid  those 
who  were  doing  works  in  his  name,  he  said,  "Forbid 
them  not."  So  every  one  who  goes  ahead  and  does  the 
very  best  he  knows  in  the  name  of  the  Most  High 
Good  will,  by  virtue  of  his  works,  draw  down  upon  him- 
self the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost — the  Word  of  God, 
In  the  Scriptures  the  Word  of  God  is  usually  per- 
sonified, indicating  self-consciousness.  This  must  be 
true,  and  he  who  acknowledges  it  as  such  finds  that  he 
is  led  as  by  One  who  knows  all  the  affairs  of  his  life 
— aye,  his  most  secret  thoughts. 

"As  many  as  received  him  to  them  gave  he  power 
to  become  the  Sons  of  God." 

Thus  this  Word  of  God  is  the  revelation  to  man  of 
the  power  and  possibilities  of  his  own  being.  It  is  the 
light  that  brings  to  his  notice  the  inner  mechanism  of 
his  soul  and  body.  Where  he  externally  sees  only  flesh, 
blood  and  bones,  the  search-light  of  this  Word  discloses 
the   presence   of   secret   springs   and   living   streams   of 


The  Ministry  of  the  Word  201 

energy  and  life.  Man  awakens  from  his  dream  of  sense 
and  begins  to  visit  the  different  rooms  in  the  temple  he 
has  lived  in,  but  knows  so  little  about.  This  he  is  per- 
mitted to  do  through  this  "Light  that  lighteth  every  man 
that  Cometh  into  the  world." 

When  man's  consciousness  is  lighted  up  by  this 
Wisdom  Word  he  finds  himself  master  of  the  powers 
and  privileges  of  Infinity.  He  then  says  with  Jesus. 
"All  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth." 
These  are  the  privileges  of  the  Sons  of  God,  which  Son 
every  man  potentially  is. 

But  to  be,  or  not  to  be,  rests  upon  the  immutable 
law  of  the  Word  of  God,  for  only  through  the  light 
which  it  sheds  can  man  see  and  appropriate  the  privi- 
leges which  are  his  by  original  birth.  It  is  only  those 
who  receive  him  who  become  in  fact  the  Sons  of  God. 


YE   MUST   BE   BORN   AGAIN 

And  no  one  has  ascended  into  the  heaven,  save  he  who 
out  of  the  heaven  descended — the  Son  of  Man. — John  3:13. 
(Rotherhara  translation.) 

ESUS  said,  "Except  a  man  be  born  of  water 
and  of  the  Spirit,"  and,  "That  which  is  born 
of  flesh  is  flesh,  and  that  which  is  born  of  the 
Spirit  is  Spirit."  Who  and  what  is  this  that  is  subject 
to  so  many  births? 

This  important  invisibility  that  takes  on  these  Pro- 
tean forms  is  man,  according  to  Jesus.   But  what  is  man? 

Plato  told  his  students  that  a  good  description  of 
man  was  a  "biped  without  feathers."  Diogenes  learned 
of  this  definition,  procured  a  chicken,  and  after  plucking 
its  feathers,  turned  it  loose  before  Plato's  class  with  the 
words,  "Behold  Plato's  man!"  This  is  a  peculiarly 
fitting  illustration  of  the  ignoble  end  of  all  definitions 
that  circumscribe  man  to  form. 

Jesus  evidently  referred  to  an  invisible  something 
that  was  born  of  flesh,  then  again  was  born  of  Spirit; 
and,  the  inference  is,  was  capable  of  an  infinite  number 
of  experiences  in  birth  and  rebirth. 

What  is  this  invisible  something  that  says,  "Be- 
fore Abraham  was,  I  am"?  Who  are  you  that  was  born 
into  this  round  of  experiences  that  you  are  now  passing 
through,  and  where  did  you  come  from?  What  is  it  that 
says     1  am   r 


Ye  Must  Be  Born  Again  203 

When  your  voice  says  "I  am,"  does  it  do  so  on  its 
own  responsibility,  or  is  it  moved  by  an  invisible  One? 
Who  is  this  invisible  One,  and  what  is  his  relation  to 
the  voice  through  which  he  speaks?  These  are  the  most 
important  questions  that  were  ever  put  to  any  school 
on  earth.  When  we  begin  to  consider  them,  in  even  the 
most  primary  way,  we  are  entering  the  realm  of  the 
gods. 

Over  the  entrance  to  the  Greek  temple  was  written 
"Know  thyself,"  and  it  is  always  written  over  every 
door  that  opens  from  ignorance  to  wisdom.  "Know 
thyself,"  know  who  and  what  you  are,  where  you  came 
from,  what  you  are  doing  here,  and  where  you  are  going. 

If  you  want  to  know  all  this,  meditate  upon  the 

"I   AM." 

Your  mind  reverts  to  Moses  and  Jehovah — you 
think  of  a  mighty  "I  am"  away  back  in  history.  You 
do  not  connect  that  far-away  "I  am"  that  inspired 
Moses  with  your  own  little  every-day  "I  am"  that  strug- 
gles in  the  "brawl  for  bread."  Yet  there  is  but  one 
I  AM.  It  cannot  be  cut  up  into  parts;  it  is  Principle. 
That  which  says  "  I  am"  in  all  men,  women  and  children 
is  identical.  It  is  like  the  mathematical  one.  All  the 
combinations  of  figures  that  were  ever  conceived  are 
but  the  repetitions  of  this  digit.  It  is  the  son  of  the 
principle,  mathematics.  It  is  inspired  by  its  principle 
and  all  the  possibilities  of  that  principle  are  open  to  it. 

Your  I  AM  is  the  Son  of  the  God  Idea,  and  all  the 
possibilities  of  the  Principle  through  that  idea  are  open 


204  Talks  on  Truth 

to  you.  To  "know  thyself"  is  to  know  that  you  are  I 
AM,  and  not  flesh  and  blood. 

It  is  this  I  AM  that  is  born  of  flesh  and  born  of 
Spirit.  It  is  not  flesh,  neither  is  it  Spirit,  if  by  Spirit 
is  meant  a  state  of  consciousness.  It  is  just  I  am,  the 
center  from  which  all  states  of  consciousness  are  gener- 
ated. Speaking  definitely,  it  is  never  born  into  any 
state  of  consciousness,  because  it  always  transcends 
all  conditions.  It  is  the  Supreme  Dictator  that  deter- 
mines the  state  of  consciousness  in  and  through  which  it 
will  function.  "I  will  be  what  I  will  to  be"  is  its  dic- 
tum. 

It  may  choose  to  be  born  into  the  flesh,  and  it  may 
choose  to  be  born  into  the  Spirit.  Through  its  decision 
it  sets  in  motion  the  machinery  of  the  universe  to  carry 
out  its  will.  "Legions  of  angels"  hasten  to  obey  its  call 
when  it  knows  who  and  what  it  is. 

It  is  evident  that  we  have  some  time  chosen  to  be 
born  into  the  flesh  or  we  would  not  be  in  it.  If  we 
have  had  enough  of  the  flesh,  it  is  our  privilege  to  drop 
it  out  of  our  minds  and  be  born  of  the  Spirit.  "That 
which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh ;  and  that  which  is  born 
of  the  Spirit  is  spirit."  The  "flesh"  is  a  state  of  con- 
sciousness ;  the  "Spirit"  is  a  state  of  consciousness. 

The  ego,  or  I  am,  functions  in  these  states  of  con- 
sciousness according  to  its  desire.  The  moving  factor 
of  the  I  AM  is  desire.  It  desires  a  certain  experience 
— on  the  wings  of  that  desire  it  carries  itself  where  it 
can  be  fulfilled.     In  the  process  of  fulfillment  the  ego 


Ye  Must  be  Born  Again  205 

may  forget  that  it  has  ever  so  desired,  but  the  law  never 
forgets. 

If  you  are  functioning  in  the  flesh,  you  may  be 
sure  that  you  somewhere,  sometime,  desired  an  experi- 
ence to  which  this  answers. 

There  are  no  accidents  in  the  laws  of  Being.  "As 
a  man  sows  so  shall  he  reap"  is  another  way  of  saying 
that  for  every  cause  there  is  an  adequate  effect.  This 
law  of  sequence  is  the  balance  wheel  of  the  universe. 
Like  all  laws  that  inhere  in  Being,  it  is  good. 

The  ego  can  have  any  experience  that  it  wills  to 
have.  If  it  wills  to  revel  in  sensation,  a  state  where 
sensation  holds  high  carnival  is  provided.  If  its  appe- 
tite for  sensation  is  satiated,  other  states  are  open  to  it; 
it  may  be  "born  of  the  Spirit." 

But  before  journeying  hence,  the  tangled  ends  of 
this  experience  must  be  straightened  out.  "Let  all 
things  be  done  in  decency  and  order"  is  written  over  the 
door  of  all  of  God's  playhouses. 

If  you  choose  to  function  in  the  realm  of  sensation, 
and  through  any  cause  have  brought  about  disorder, 
you  cannot  leave  until  harmony  is  restored. 

If  you  lack  wisdom,  there  is  a  way  provided  to  get 
it — "The  Spirit  of  Trutfii,  he  will  lead  you  into  all 
Truth." 

Your  real  self  is  that  which  says  I  am.  It  cannot 
be  described,  because  description  is  limitation,  and  it 
is  unlimited  in  its  capacity  to  he.  It  is  the  All-Possi- 
bility, yet  it  is  ignorant  of  the  states  of  consciousness 


206  Talks  on  Truth 

into  which  it  is  ushered  until  it  has  experienced  them. 
In  the  flesh  consciousness  it  is  Will.  In  the  spiritual 
consciousness  it  is  Love.  Both  are  blind  unless  married 
to  Intelligence  in  the  one,  and  Wisdom  in  the  other. 

There  are  people  who  have  had  enough  fleshly  ex- 
perience and  desire  to  be  born  into  the  Spirit.  That 
desire  will  open  the  door  into  the  Spirit.  You  have 
only  to  desire  to  be,  and  you  will  surely  find  the  way 
to  be  that  which  you  desire.  There  is  no  exception  to 
this  inherent  principle  of  Being.  You  have  sometime 
polarized  your  desire  in  the  direction  of  the  flesh,  or 
you  would  not  be  having  the  experience  of  the  flesh. 

Do  not  condemn  the  flesh  nor  bewail  your  lot.  The 
flesh  is  an  obedient  servant,  and  now  expresses  your 
idea  of  what  form  should  be.  In  its  virgin  purity  it  is 
the  immaculate  substance  of  Being.  If  it  appears  cor- 
rupt, or  subject  to  corruption,  humanity  has  made  it  so 
through  ignorance,  and  humanity  must  again  purify  it 
by  restoring  it  to  the  heaven  of  its  consciousness,  when 
it  will  cease  to  be  flesh.  That  which  the  world  conceives 
to  be  flesh  has  no  existence  in  Being  whatever.  It  is 
a  malformation  of  the  substance  idea  of  Being,  and  must 
be  transformed  by  right  conception  of  the  Divine  Per- 
fection before  the  mortal  can  put  on  the  immortal. 

Thus  all  things  are  right  here  ready  for  our  using, 
to  function  through  in  the  fulfillment  of  our  desire  to 
experience  sensation.  If  we  have  failed  to  get  satis- 
faction, it  is  not  the  fault  of  the  substance,  but  our  use 
of  the  substance.     Now  that  we  wish  to  transfer  our 


Ye  Must  be  Born  Again  207 

experiences  to  the  realm  of  the  Spirit,  to  light,  instead 
of  sensation,  we  have  but  to  comply  with  the  conditions 
of  that  realm  to  do  so. 

There  is  a  Primal  Substance  and  all  states  of  con- 
sciousness are  in  it.  We  do  not  have  to  go  anywhere 
to  find  it;  it  is  here.  We  are  basing  our  present  ex- 
periences upon  it  and  calling  it  flesh.  If  we  desire  to 
see  it  as  Spirit,  we  must  so  call  it,  and  seek  to  know  the 
mental  attitude  on  our  part  necessary  to  make  it  show 
forth  the  conditions  of  Spirit. 

"The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  within  you."  It  is  not 
afar  off,  nor  is  it  hard  to  find  if  your  desire  has  headed 
you  in  its  direction. 

The  question  is.  Do  you  really  want  to  be  born  into 
the  Spirit? 

The  majority  of  people  would  answer  this  query  in 
the  affirmative  without  a  moment's  thought.  But  this 
is  mere  impulse,  and  not  a  careful  consideration  of  the 
most  important  matter  that  was  ever  presented  to  the 

I   AM. 

To  be  born  into  the  Spirit  is  to  come  into  an  en- 
tirely new  and  different  state  of  consciousness.  This 
has  a  mighty  meaning  back  of  it.  What  makes  up  your 
present  consciousness?     Is  it  not  the  things  of  sense? 

Analyze  your  surroundings  and  see  if  they  are  not 
all  based  upon  the  perception  of  the  five  senses.  You 
swing  in  your  little  orbit  of  family  ties.  You  believe 
that  you  were  born  into  the  world  through  a  chain  of 
fleshly  ancestors  to  which  you  are  bound  by  filial  love 


208  Talks  on  Truth 

that  to  your  present  understanding  is  inviolable.  Yet 
he  who  had  passed  from  the  flesh  consciousness  into  the 
Spirit  looked  back  and  said,  "Call  no  man  your  father 
upon  the  earth:  for  one  is  your  Father,  which  is  in 
heaven." 

So  the  I  AM  that  desires  to  function  on  the  spirit- 
ual plane  must  drop  all  belief  of  fleshly  parentage.  It 
must  count  as  rubbish  all  pride  of  ancestry  and  "blue 
blood."  It  must  forever  cease  to  talk  about  the  social 
prestige  of  "our  family/'  or  in  any  way  bolster  up  its 
transitory  experience  in  the  flesh  by  considering  as  of 
any  weight  the  reputation  of  its  ancestors  among  men. 
This  must  all  be  denied  away  as  a  dream  of  the  night, 
because  it  is  one  of  the  strong  cords  that  bind  the  I  am 
to  the  flesh. 

Every  tie  of  earthly  relationship  must  be  recog- 
nized as  the  passing  condition  of  a  brief  fleshly  ex- 
perience. Your  children  are  not  yours  as  you  have 
looked  upon  them.  They  are  egos  like  yourself,  who 
through  some  similarity  of  desire  have  been  attracted  to 
your  mental  stratum.  They  may  be  older  than  you  in 
experience  and  wisdom.  Do  not  let  your  affections  throw 
both  them  and  you  into  a  little  vortex  of  family  selfish- 
ness. You  will  love  them  with  a  love  that  will  help  to 
lift  them  into  the  eternal  heaven  when  you  know  that 
they  are  not  your  children,  your  brothers  and  sisters, 
your  fathers  and  mothers,  but  that  all  men  and  women 
compose  one  great  common  family,  with  God  as  the 
Father-Mother.     "For  whosoever   shall  do  the  will  of 


Ye  Must  be  Born  Again  209 

my  Father  which  is  in  heaven,  the  same  is  my  brother 
and  sister  and  mother." 

The  I  AM  was  born  into  the  flesh  through  desire, 
and  it  is  desire  that  keeps  it  in  the  consciousness  of  the 
flesh.  The  five  senses  are  simply  avenues  of  one  great 
central  desire — sensation.  The  I  am  desired  experience 
in  sensation,  and  the  five  senses  are  the  five  formulated 
avenues  through  which  it  enjoys  that  experience. 

Sensation  is  not  an  evil,  except  when  you  choose  to 
let  it  crawl  on  its  belly  through  the  fleshly  avenues.  It 
is  the  serpent  that  beguiles  man  when  he  turns  it  out- 
ward into  mere  seeming — hearing,  seeing,  feeling,  tast- 
ing and  smelling.  In  this  wilderness  of  sense  Moses 
lifted  it  up.  Moses  was  the  law  which  the  I  am  sent 
forth. 

You  must  make  a  law  for  this  serpent  that  is  hold- 
ing you  in  the  sensations  of  the  flesh.  You  desire  to  be 
born  into  the  Spirit,  but  you  cannot  rise  out  of  the  flesh. 
Something  binds  you  down.  Like  a  captive  balloon  you 
are  tugging  at  the  guy  ropes  that  fasten  you  to  earth. 

Mind  is  the  only  causative  power.  It  makes  and 
unmakes  all  laws  through  words.  The  I  am  floats  in 
mind  and  formulates  the  words  that  set  mind  in  motion. 

If  you  are  bound  to  the  flesh,  the  cords  that  hold 
you  are  concreted  words.  If  you  want  to  be  unbound, 
it  must  be  accomplished  through  words.  The  cords  are 
states  of  consciousness  that  you  must  dissolve.  This 
dissolving  process  is  done  through  words  expressing  de- 
nial— negations. 


210  Talks  on  Truth 

In  cutting  yourself  loose  from  the  bonds  of  Egypt, 
your  I  AM  must  go  forth  and  make  laws  of  denial.  They 
are  the  loosing  of  the  bonds,  and  their  dominant  note 
is  of  negation — "thou  shalt  not." 

"Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery"  is  a  denial  that 
regulates  the  animal  consciousness  and  helps  it  along 
the  path  to  higher  things;  but  Jesus  said,  "Ye  have 
heard  that  it  was  said  by  them  of  old  time.  Thou  shalt 
not  commit  adultery:  But  I  say  unto  you,  That  whoso- 
ever looketh  on  a  woman  to  lust  after  her  hath  commit- 
ted adultery  with  her  already  in  his  heart." 

He  was  laying  down  the  law  of  the  spiritual  con- 
sciousness— instructing  those  who  wanted  to  be  born 
out  of  the  flesh  into  the  Spirit.  In  that  realm  the  flesh 
man  with  his  carnal  sensations  has  no  part.  "And  Jesus 
answering  said  unto  them.  The  children  of  this  world 
marry  and  are  given  in  marriage;  But  they  which  shall 
be  accounted  worthy  to  obtain  that  world  and  the  res- 
urrection from  the  dead,  neither  marry  nor  are  given 
in  marriage." 

Do  not  be  deluded  by  those  who  cry,  "All  is  good, 
therefore  all  the  desires  of  the  flesh  are  good  and  should 
be  indulged."  Jesus  plainly  said,  "That  which  is  born  of 
the  flesh  is  flesh,  and  that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is 
Spirit,"  definitely  marking  out  two  states  of  conscious- 
ness. 

The  I  AM  is  always  the  same.  Your  identity  is  pre- 
served wherever  you  are,  in  the  flesh  or  in  the  Spirit; 
but    the    two    states    are    as    distinct    as    America    and 


Ye  Must  be  Born  Again  211 

Europe.  When  you  are  in  Europe  you  come  into  rela- 
tion with  people  and  surroundings  quite  different  from 
those  in  America.  So  he  who  has  let  go  the  bonds  of 
the  flesh  and  come  into  the  Spirit  finds  himself  in  an- 
other country. 

In  the  flesh  his  sensation  was  turned  outward 
through  feeling,  and  he  was  bound  to  the  eternally  roll- 
ing wheels  of  birth  and  death  through  physical  gener- 
ation. When  he  is  born  into  the  Spirit  he  cuts  off  the 
indulgence  of  the  external,  and  is  delighted  to  learn  that 
sensation  finds  an  interior  faculty  through  which  it  ex- 
presses itself  in  perpetual  ecstasy.  Had  he  continued 
to  indulge  the  desires  of  the  flesh  in  the  external  he 
would  never  have  discovered  the  enduring  faculty  of 
the  internal. 

Jesus  said,  "In  my  Father's  house  are  many  man- 
sions"; that  is,  there  are  many  states  of  consciousness. 
Each  state  is  good  for  him  who  enjoys  it.  Therefore  we 
should  not  condemn  the  flesh  consciousness,  nor  those 
who  prefer  to  remain  in  it.  Neither  should  we  who  are 
satiated  with  the  flesh  continue  to  bow  down  and  wor- 
ship it,  nor  believe  the  subtle  argument  that  it  is  Spirit 
because  it  came  forth  from  mind. 

In  claiming  your  unity  with  Spirit,  you  must  be 
willing  to  conform  to  the  conditions  of  Spirit.  If  you 
are  not,  you  will  be  torn  in  the  conflict.  You  cannot  wor- 
ship two  masters. 

When  you  have  renounced  the  fleshly  consciousness, 
and  resolved  to  live  in  the  Spirit,  you  have  made  a  cov- 


212  Talks  on  Truth 

cnant  with  the  Most  High  to  leave  the  domain  of  the 
flesh  forever.  You  have  entered  into  an  agreement  with 
your  invisible  self,  which  is  far  more  binding  than  any 
man-made  contract  could  possibly  be. 

If  you  agreed  to  go  to  California  and  remain  there 
for  a  consideration  to  be  paid  by  your  employer,  you 
would  in  honor  be  bound  to  carry  out  your  contract. 
You  would  arrange  to  leave  the  things  of  this  region  be- 
hind you,  and  faithfully  seek  to  prepare  yourself  for 
the  new  requirements  in  that  country.  This  is  exactly 
the  attitude  you  should  take  when  you  have  agreed  with 
the  Father  to  do  his  will  and  be  born  into  the  Spirit. 

You  are  going  into  an  entirely  new  country  to  you, 
and  your  experiences  will  be  strange  and  wonderful. 
The  customs  that  prevail  in  the  flesh  consciousness  will 
not  fit  the  spiritual  consciousness. 

Paul  says,  "The  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy, 
peace,  long-suflfering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meek- 
ness, temperance;  against  such  there  is  no  law.  If  we 
live  in  the  Spirit,  let  us  also  walk  in  the  Spirit." 

Arc  you  bringing  forth  this  kind  of  fruit.''  If  you 
are  not,  why  of  course  you  are  not  being  born  of  the 
Spirit,  for  "by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them." 

A  large  number  of  students  of  truth  are  at  this 
time  complaining  because  they  are  having  trials.  They 
say,  "We  have  denied  and  affirmed  for  years.  We 
have  studied  science  and  understand  it.  We  are  faith- 
ful to  the  hours  of  meditation  and  are  staunch  defend- 


Ye  Must  be  Born  Again  213 

ers  of  the  truths  yet  we  do  not  demonstrate.  Why  is 
it?" 

"If  we  live  in  the  Spirit,  let  us  also  walk  in  the 
Spirit."  Here  is  the  key  that  will  open  the  door  of 
causes  for  you.     Do  you  "also  walk  in  the  Spirit"? 

How  about  the  habits  of  the  flesh  consciousness.'' 
Do  you  still  give  them  rein? 

Remember  that  you  cannot  perform  a  single  act 
without  putting  your  consciousness  into  it.  All  things 
are  sustained  by  your  conscious  thought  projection. 
Every  time  you  indulge  in  any  of  the  sensations  of  flesh 
you  are  binding  the  I  am  to  the  fleshly  consciousness. 

Spiritual  thinking  is  the  pioneer  that  opens  the 
way  into  the  new  birth,  but  it  must  be  followed  by  spir- 
itual acting  on  the  part  of  every  faculty.  "Present  your 
bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God, 
which  is  your  reasonable  service." 

In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  Jesus  laid  down  the 
law  for  those  who  desired  to  foUow  him  into  the  regen- 
eration— to  be  born  again.  If  you  seek  this  spiritual 
birth,  examine  your  daily  life  and  see  if  you  are  con- 
forming to  its  requirements. 

If  you  are  angry  with  your  brother,  you  shall  be  in 
danger  of  the  judgment. 

"Agree  with  thine  adversary  quickly."  Does  this 
allow  the  intervention  of  the  courts  to  settle  your  dis- 
putes? Did  you  ever  know  a  man  who  went  to  law  to 
agree  with  his  adversary  quickly? 

Judicial   Courts   of   Equity   are  not  known   in   the 


214  Talks  on  Truth 

Spirit,  and  you  can  never  be  born  again  nor  expect  the 
help  of  the  Spirit  in  your  affairs  so  long  as  you  believe 
in  securing  your  rights  through  such  contentious  chan- 
nels. If  you  are  sincere  in  your  desire  to  be  born  into 
the  Spirit,  shun  all  the  entanglements  of  the  world's 
legal  machinery.  It  is  a  snare  and  a  delusion.  Your 
triumphs  through  its  methods  will  in  the  end  turn  to 
dust  and  ashes.  "If  any  man  sue  thee  at  law  and  take 
away  thy  coat,  let  him  have  thy  cloak  also."  Trust  the 
defense  of  your  rights  to  the  law  of  Spirit  and  you  shall 
be  victor  in  every  instance.  You  may  appear  to  lose 
both  your  coat  and  your  cloak,  but  do  not  worry.  Your 
Judge  is  the  Almighty  Equilibrium  of  the  Universe,  and 
all  men  and  all  things  are  obedient  to  it  in  its  "Day  of 
Judgment." 

Do  you  love  your  enemies  ?  Do  you  bless  them  that 
curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and  pray  for 
them  which  despitefully  use  you  and  persecute  you? 
This  is  required  of  one  who  seeks  the  new  birth. 

Are  you  laying  up  treasures  for  yourself  upon 
earth,  "where  moth  and  rust  doth  corrupt,  and  where 
thieves  break  through  and  steal"?  If  so,  remember 
the  primal  law  of  thought  generation — the  gluing  of  the 
ego  to  those  things  which  it  consciouly  seeks ;  "for  where 
your  treasure  is  there  will  your  heart  be  also."  You 
cannot  float  out  into  the  ethereal  substance  of  the  Spirit 
with  bags  of  gold  in  each  hand. 

Do  you  allow  your  mind  to  drift  with  the  current 
criticism  of  the  world,  magnifying  the  error  and  min- 


Ye  Must  be  Born  Again  215 

imizing  the  good?  This  mental  habit  of  the  ignorant 
flesh  is  carnal  judgment — darkness  and  ignorance  see- 
ing itself  reflected  in  all  the  universe.  Beware  of  this 
subtle  adversary  who  goes  forth  ostensibly  to  reform  the 
world. 

According  to  Rotherham^  Jesus  said  to  such:  "Why, 
moreover,  beholdest  thou  the  mote  that  is  in  the  eye  of 
thy  brother,  while  the  beam  in  thine  eye  thou  dost  not 
consider?  Or  wilt  thou  say  to  thy  brother.  Allow  I 
may  cast  out  the  mote  in  thine  eye ;  and,  behold !  the 
beam  is  in  thine  eye?  Hypocrite!  Cast  out  first,  out 
of  thine  eye,  the  beam;  and  then  shalt  thou  clearly  see 
to  cast  the  mote  out  of  the  eye  of  thy  brother." 

O  Son  of  God  and  Son  of  Man!  realize  what  and 
who  you  are.  Know  consciously  what  Jesus  so  suc- 
cinctly stated:  "No  one  has  ascended  into  the  heaven, 
save  he  who  out  of  the  heaven  descended,  the  Son  of 
Man,"  the  one  having  his  being  in  heaven. 

Your  being  is  in  heaven — the  spiritual  conscious- 
ness. You  descended  from  that  high  estate,  and  you 
by  right  belong  there  now.  You  are  there  now  if  you 
will  but  realize  it  and  comply  with  the  laws  of  heaven. 
God  is  here  now  in  our  very  midst.  The  Spirit  is  here, 
taking  account  of  our  every  thought.  The  Father  loves 
us  with  his  infinite  Love.  We  are  his  in  Truth  and  must 
be  his  in  fact. 

Let  us  now  and  here  consecrate  ourselves  anew  to 
his  Divine  guidance  and  service  and  agree  in  thought  and 
word  to  do  his  will. 


OBEDIENCE 

EFORE  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  us 
we  live  in  the  intellect,  and  our  little  world 
is  rounded  by  the  thinking  faculty.  What  our 
ancestors  thought  is  the  pattern  after  which  we  cut  our 
thinking.  To  any  one  who  claims  a  higher  fount  of  wis- 
dom, we  say,  "Art  thou  greater  than  our  father  Jacob, 
which  gave  us  the  well,  and  drank  thereof  himself,  and 
his  children,  and  his  cattle?" 

Thinking  is  a  process  in  mind.  All  processes  come 
to  an  end.  Every  thought  has  its  premise,  its  stage  of 
action  as  a  reasonable  proposition,  and  its  conclusion. 
So  the  /  that  lets  the  sphere  of  its  existence  be  encom- 
passed by  the  limited  thinking  faculty  follows  the  proc- 
ess of  the  syllogism,  and  believes  birth,  life,  and  death 
to  be  the  major,  minor,  and  conclusion  of  existence.  In- 
stead of  recognizing  the  power  to  think  as  simply  a 
faculty  of  mind,  it  assumes  it  to  be  the  whole  of  mind 
and  all  of  itself.  This  identification  of  the  free  /  with 
its  creations  brings  about  a  world  of  illusions.  Instead 
of  accomplishment  through  the  equipoise  of  effort,  it 
sees  no  way  of  reaching  the  goal  except  through  violent 
and  continued  action.  To  such,  existence  is  not  the  joy- 
ous dominion  over  many  obedient  powers,  but  the  rebel- 
lious slave  of  one. 

To  be  ushered  into  life,  blindly  toil  a  few  years 


Obedience  217 

through  its  fitful  maze,  and  then  go  out  in  darkness  is 
surely  not  the  method  of  wise  design.  Life  must  mean 
more  than  this,  and  it  does  mean  more.  Man  is  the 
builder,  and  to  him  is  given  all  the  materials  out  of  which 
to  construct  the  temple  in  which  he  dwells.  He  builds 
in  wisdom  or  ignorance,  according  to  his  obedience — his 
receptivity  to  the  sphere  of  intelligence  within  him. 

Simon,  the  first  disciple  of  Jesus,  represents  a 
receptive  attitude  of  mind.  Simon  means  hearing — 
listening  for  the  inner  voice,  and  obedience  to  it 
when  it  says,  "Launch  out  into  the  deep,  and  let  down 
your  nets  for  a  draught."  When  the  thinking  faculty  is 
obedient  and  does  as  it  is  told,  it  is  always  rewarded  with 
a  great  "multitude  of  fishes,"  or  new  ideas.  It  is  then 
counted  worthy  to  be  a  disciple  of  the  Master  and  its 
name  is  changed  to  Peter.  Faith,  the  substance  of  thought, 
then  becomes  the  rock  upon  which  the  body  temple 
is  built.  If  you  are  living  in  your  thinking  faculty  in- 
tellectually, if  you  believe  in  birth,  life,  and  death,  you 
must  come  out  of  that  belief.  You  are  not  exercising 
your  rightful  dominion,  but  are  subject  to  one  of  your 
powers. 

You  are  Spirit,  the  Son  of  God,  and  your  place  is 
at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father.  To  realize  this  is  to 
call  down  upon  yourself  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
after  which  baptism  you  no  longer  labor  as  a  carpenter, 
or  fisher,  but  begin  to  gather  together  your  disciples — 
powers  of  mind.  This  gathering  together  of  your  pow- 
ers is  an  orderly  process,  and  you  will  find  that  it  pro- 


218  Talks  on  Truth 

ceeds  right  along  the  lines  laid  down  in  the  choosing 
of  his  disciples  by  Jesus,  as  recorded  in  Matt.  4:  18  and 
Mark  1:  16.  Your  first  power  is  the  thinking  faculty, 
Simon,  and  right  with  him  is  strength,  "his  brother  An- 
drew." That  is,  you  discover  that  your  thinking  makes 
your  world,  and  that  you  also  have  the  power  or  strength 
to  control  your  thoughts  and  make  your  world  conform 
to  your  ideas.  Then  you  disentangle  the  I  from  the 
thinking  faculty,  and  take  control  of  and  direct  that  pow- 
er according  to  your  wisdom.  But  Wisdom  is  of  the 
Spirit.  "There  is  a  Spirit  in  man,  and  the  inspiration 
of  the  Almighty  giveth  him  understanding." 

After  you  have  separated  your  /  from  the  thinking 
faculty  you  are  no  better  off  than  before  unless  you  rec- 
ognize that  all  wisdom  is  from  the  Spirit.  You  can  get 
flashes  of  understanding  at  any  time,  but  the  clear  light 
of  the  Supreme  will  shine  steadily  upon  you  only  when 
you  are  obedient  and  receptive  to  its  monitions.  The 
record  states  that  Jesus  prayed  often;  that  he  sought 
in  every  way  to  do  the  Father's  will,  even  to  suffering 
the  utmost  ignominy  in  order  to  carry  out  the  message 
which  he  had  for  humanity.  He  always  listened  for  the 
"inner  voice,"  and  was  obedient  to  it  in  his  meek  and 
lowly  work  among  the  humblest  class  of  men.  To  do  the 
will  of  the  Father  was  his  highest  aim,  because  his  suc- 
cess depended  entirely  upon  knowing  that  will.  "I  can 
of  myself  do  nothing,"  and  "All  power  is  given  unto  me 
in  heaven  and  in  earth,"  seem  contradictory  statements, 
but  when  carefully  analyzed  they  corroborate  the  prem- 


Obedience  219 

ise  that  all  wisdom  and  power  come  from  the  Spirit 
— and  that  is  "given"  to  man.  The  highest  development 
of  spiritual  discernment  sees  the  /  possessed  of  nothing 
as  its  own,  but  the  user  of  all  things  that  the  Father  has. 

The  relation  between  God  and  man  is  very  similar 
to  that  existing  between  the  co-operative  colony  and  its 
members.  All  that  the  colony  owns  is  for  the  use  of 
each  member  to  the  full  extent  of  his  ability  to  use  wise- 
ly, but  he  must  not  attempt  to  hoard  the  belongings  of 
the  colony  or  claim  them  as  his  exclusive  property.  To 
know  how  to  establish  this  relation  between  Father  and 
Son  is  the  object  of  every  man,  for  only  through  its  es- 
tablishment can  come  his  happiness.  Then  the  first 
thing  to  do  after  the  I  has  come  into  an  understanding 
that  it  is  given  charge  of  various  powers  is  to  know  how 
to  properly  develop  them,  and  finally  use  them  in  the 
grand  scheme  of  creation. 

Here  comes  up  an  extremely  intricate  and  inter- 
esting point.  Can  it  be  rightly  said  that  man  possesses 
any  powers?  We  say  that  we  have  judgment,  love,  etc., 
but  is  it  not  true  that  these  belong  to  God,  and  are  merely 
ours  to  use  in  the  attainment  of  an  object  in  the  plan  of 
creation,  which  is  not  yet  revealed  by  the  Father?  This 
must  be  the  conclusion  of  a  logical  consideration  of  the 
matter.  Man  is  given  "dominion"  over  all  things,  but 
possession  is  not  conveyed.  Thus  you  do  not  possess 
your  body  even — it  belongs  to  God.  If  it  is  sick  or  dis- 
cordant in  any  way,  it  must  be  in  your  idea  of  the  body 
and  not  in  the  real  body  itself.     All  of  God's  creations 


220  Talks  on  Truth 

are  perfect;  your  body  as  it  appears  to  him  must  also 
be  perfect,  and  if  you  will  stand  aside  and  let  his  Spirit 
shine  through  it,  you  will  also  see  that  it  is  perfect  in 
every  part.  You  simply  stand  in  the  light  and  look  upon 
your  shadow  as  a  real  creation.  There  is  nothing  there 
at  all,  for  if  it  were  something  that  came  forth  from 
God  it  would  be  enduring,  while  the  appearance  is  that 
it  changes  constantly. 

Some  of  the  most  miraculous  cures  ever  made  have 
been  where  the  healer  simply  saw  perfection  in  the  pa- 
tient. He  saw  with  the  eye  of  Spirit  that  which  really 
exists,  and  the  shadow  conformed  to  his  seeing  just  to 
the  extent  of  his  realization  of  that  spiritual  reality. 
The  Father  lets  you  use  his  substance  and  intelligence 
to  build  shadows  about  the  real,  but  that  they  are  shad- 
ows you  learn  by  experience,  when  you  might  know  by 
a  shorter  way.  That  way  is  the  way  of  obedience  to  the 
Spirit.  Obedience  comes  from  a  meek  and  lowly  heart — 
a  heart  that  is  willing  to  serve  all  and  sacrifice  its  mortal 
pride  on  the  altar  of  spiritual  Truth.  Jesus  washed  his 
disciples'  feet,  the  most  humble  office.  He  told  them, 
"He  that  is  greatest  among  you  shall  be  your  servant, 
and  whosoever  shall  exalt  himself  shall  be  abased ;  and 
he  that  shall  humble  himself  shall  be  exalted."  This 
erasing  of  the  personal  man  is  the  short-cut  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  It  is  not  a  denial  of  one's  self  as 
a  "worm  of  the  dust,"  "a  sinner  against  God,"  and  other 
misconceptions  of  the  I's  relation  to  the  Father,  but  a 
letting  go  of  pride,  ignorance,  selfishness,  ambition,  and 


Obedience  221 

the  thousand  and  one  inverted  ideas  that  make  the  soul 
opaque  to  the  eye  of  the  Spirit. 

A  man's  burdens  are  always  the  things  he  has  laid 
claim  to  as  his  personal  property,  and  which  are  thereby 
deprived  of  the  sustaining  ability  of  the  All-Powerful. 
"Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden, 
and  I  will  give  you  rest."  Lay  your  burdens  upon  the 
Spirit.  Say  unto  them,  "I  let  you  go  gladly."  You 
have  no  right  whatever  to  take  upon  yourself  any  burden. 
To  do  so  is  to  run  square  in  the  face  of  the  universal 
law  of  Good.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  burden  in  God's 
scheme  of  creation,  and  if  you  are  bearing  one,  it  is  be- 
cause you  do  not  understand  who  and  what  you  are  and 
your  relation  in  the  Great  Whole. 

When  you  carefully  sift  your  burdens,  you  will  find 
that  they  arise  from  some  idea  of  possession.  You  think, 
for  instance,  that  you  have  those  dependent  upon  you 
who  must  be  provided  with  the  necessities  of  life.  Your 
idea  of  their  claim  upon  you  arises  from  your  belief  that 
they  have  no  other  protector.  When  you  recognize  an 
All-Caring  Father,  who  heeds  even  the  sparrow's  fall, 
you  relinquish  that  idea  of  your  responsibility,  and  you 
are  relieved.  Then  through  the  mental  freedom  which 
your  mind  recognizes,  there  flow  to  you  and  those  in 
whom  you  are  interested  greater  resources  from  un- 
looked-for directions.  We  do  not  abandon  our  friends 
and  withdraw  all  interest  in  them,  but  we  recognize  their 
equality  with  ourselves  in  the  Supreme  Mind,  and  by 
that  recognition  they  are  freed  from  a  mental  depend- 


222  Talks  on  Truth 

ency,  with  which  we  have  unconsciously  bound  them. 
They  begin  to  assert  their  inherent  capacities,  and  step 
forth  with  the  work  which  the  Spirit  within  them  has 
chosen. 

People  who  pose  before  the  world  as  benefactors 
and  dispensers  of  charity  should  rightly  be  counted  ene- 
mies of  mankind.  He  who  dispenses  charity  tickles  his 
own  idea  of  benevolence,  but  he  is  not  a  friend  of  the 
race.  Thousands  are  held  in  bondage  to  the  belief  that 
they  must  be  helped,  when  the  blessing  would  be  to  make 
them  see  that  their  salvation  lies  in  helping  themselves. 
The  most  prolific  burden-producer  is  that  idea  that  pro- 
vision must  be  made  for  the  needs  of  the  future.  The 
childless  scrimp  and  strive  to  provide  a  competency  for 
old  age;  and  those  with  children  pursue  the  same  meth- 
ods, providing  for  the  future  of  their  children.  This 
fear  of  a  future  day  of  want  has  become  a  race  belief 
so  absorbing  that  the  old,  the  young,  and  the  middle- 
aged  are  its  victims  under  the  guise  of  life  insurance. 

If  you  are  obedient  to  the  Spirit  you  will  not  suffer 
these  burdens  to  be  loaded  upon  you.  You  will  live  in 
the  present;  do  your  highest  duty  every  day;  forget  the 
past,  and  let  the  future  take  care  of  itself.  To  trust  the 
Spirit  you  must  know  of  its  guidance  by  experience.  To 
those  who  have  not  learned  the  guidance  of  the  Spirit, 
that  experience  must  be  acquired.  God  does  not  require 
you  to  follow  his  leading  on  blind  trust  always.  You  may 
look  over  all  creation  first  and  see  the  evidence  of  the 
invisible   intelligence   pervading   everything,    even  your 


Obedience  223 

own  body.  Then  from  analogy  you  can  arrive  at  a  so- 
lution of  the  question  whether  or  not  that  same  Spirit 
pervades  your  consciousness.  If  you  decide  that  it  does, 
and  you  have  made  up  your  mind  to  cultivate  its  ac- 
quaintance, you  may  rest  in  the  assurance  that  the  proof 
will  be  forthcoming.  The  Spirit  is  modest;  its  voice  is 
silent  in  a  turmoil  of  argument  about  its  existence.  It 
is  not  found  on  the  house  tops  proclaiming  its  presence. 
It  is  Spirit.  Spirit  is  the  invisible,  silent  principle  per- 
vading Being.  You  are  Spirit,  and  must  find  yourself 
before  you  can  communicate  with  the  Universal  Spirit. 

The  thinking  faculty  is  the  gate  through  which  the 
/  comes  forth  from  the  invisible  to  the  visible,  and  it  is 
through  this  gate  you  must  go  to  get  into  the  presence  of 
the  Sjiirit.  Hence,  we  take  words  and  go  unto  our  God. 
We  come  out  from  his  presence  through  that  gate,  and 
we  must  return  the  same  way.  On  the  inner  side  is  the 
Garden  of  Eden,  but  the  cherubim  stand  there,  and  the 
flaming  sword  that  keeps  turning  every  way  to  keep  the 
tree  of  life.  That  flaming  sword  is  the  inner  motive  that 
rules  our  thoughts  and  acts.  It  turns  every  way  to 
guard  the  tree  of  life,  because  that  tree  is  the  precious 
substance  of  the  Father. 

Disobedience  to  the  Spirit  is  refusal  to  do  right  at 
all  hazards.  We  all  know  the  right,  but  we  do  not  al- 
ways do  it,  because  it  seems  to  foil  immediate  attain- 
ment of  the  obj  ect  we  seek.  We  want  quick  returns,  for- 
getting that  "the  mills  of  the  gods  grind  slow,  but  they 
grind  exceeding  small."     We  want  instantaneous  heal- 


224  Talks  on  Truth 

ing  of  our  diseases,  but  are  loth  to  sacrifice  the  mental 
habits  that  cause  them.  The  mind  of  the  flesh  knows  that 
its  existence  depends  upon  keeping  the  I  in  its  bonds, 
and  it  begs  that  the  discord  which  its  ignorance  has  pro- 
duced in  the  body  may  be  quickly  erased  without  dis- 
turbing its  dominion.  Hence,  the  cry  goes  up  from  all 
over  the  land,  "Heal  me!  heal  me!  as  Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth did  those  who  came  to  him,  but  don't  ask  me  to 
change  my  ideas." 

Moses  stands  for  the  progressive  law  of  the  mind, 
working  out  its  salvation  through  obedience  to  the  Spirit. 
It  does  not  in  its  Egyptian  darkness  see  the  way  out,  nor 
can  it  see,  except  through  the  eye  of  spiritual  percep- 
tion. Some  people  mistake  spiritual  perception  for  the 
reality,  and  refuse  to  take  the  second  step  of  science, 
which  is  organic  realization  of  the  truths  perceived  in 
mind.  This  second  step  is  one  of  intricate  building,  stone 
by  stone,  of  a  living  temple  in  which  the  Spirit  resides 
forever.  No  one  can  undertake  this  structure  of  a 
spiritual  body  until  he  has  covenanted  to  follow  the  di- 
rections of  the  Spirit  as  revealed  to  him  from  day  to 
day.  If  he  depends  upon  teachers,  healers,  books,  or  the 
experience  of  others,  he  is  like  the  contractor  who  starts 
to  build  after  the  design  furnished  by  his  architect,  and 
instead  of  consulting  that  design  and  its  author  at  each 
step,  looks  here  and  there  and  everywhere  for  advice 
as  to  what  to  do. 

The  image  and  likeness  of  our  spiritual  body  is  as 
thoroughly  defined  within  us  as  is  the  tree  in  the  acorn. 


Obedience  225 

Does  the  acorn  consult  anything  outside  of  itself  as  to 
how  it  should  bring  forth  a  tree?  Certainly  not.  It 
simply  rests  in  the  Spirit,  and  unfolds  from  moment  to 
moment,  as  moved  by  the  impulse  within.  Exactly  the 
same  law  is  operative  in  bringing  forth  the  God-man. 
The  external,  striving,  wandering  will  must  stop  its  rest- 
less seeking  without,  and  rest  at  the  center.  It  must  be 
obedient  to  that  center,  and  learn  the  language  of  Spirit. 
Moses  was  forty  years  a  tender  of  sheep  before  he  was 
competent  to  lead  his  people  out  of  servitude.  He 
learned  the  language  of  the  Father  in  his  hours  of  soli- 
tude, and  he  knew,  without  doubting,  when  he  was  called 
to  go  forth.  So  we  must,  every  one,  find  the  Father  con- 
sciously in  our  own  inner  temples.  We  must  go  there 
day  after  day  and  ask  for  guidance.  Mere  denials  and 
affirmations  will  not  do  it.  God  is  Spirit.  Spirit  is 
Mind,  and  Mind  knows.  It  is  not  an  abstraction  that 
dwells  in  vacuum  to  be  invoked  by  some  magic  formula, 
but  must  be  cultivated  and  communed  with  as  a  child 
with  its  parent. 

Thus  the  reality  of  living  is  to  live  as  Jesus  of  Naz- 
areth lived — one  with  the  Father.  If  our  ideas  of  God 
are  what  some  one  has  told  us,  or  what  we  learned  in  a 
course  of  science  lessons,  we  have  not  found  him.  He  is 
the  one  inner  plane,  the  visibility  of  the  soul.  We  must 
know  him  as  nearer,  dearer,  and  closer  in  consciousness 
than  father,  mother,  wife,  husband,  or  friend.  He  must 
be  to  us  the  indwelling  love  and  intelligence  that  leap 
forth  at  every  word  we  speak,  every  thought  we  think. 


226  Talks  on  Truth 

He  is  at  our  right  hand  and  at  our  left.  He  is  within 
us  and  without  us.  He  dwells  in  a  halo  about  our 
heads.  His  thought  vibrates  upon  the  tympanum  of  our 
minds,  and  we  speak  the  divine  words  of  health  and  hope 
to  all  the  worlds. 

God  is  our  Father-Mother,  the  one  inspiration  of  all 
we  do,  aU  that  we  are.  Why  for  a  moment  ignore  this  one 
All-Power?  Why  look  to  the  insipid  without  when  the  in- 
spired within  forever  sparkles  with  the  vintage  of  eternal 
youth,  health,  wisdom,  life  ? 

God  is.  Man  is.  We  are  now  in  the  presence  of 
that  eternal  Is-ness — Osiris  and  Isis  are  now  our  Father- 
Mother  as  fully  as  they  were  of  old  Egypt.  The  mighty 
works  of  those  men  of  antiquity  are  possible  to  us,  when 
we  acquaint  ourselves  as  did  they  with  the  power  within. 
Let  us  not  look  abroad  for  power  or  wisdom,  but  seek  at 
home.  There  in  the  silent  recesses  of  our  own  souls  we 
will  find  the  pearl  of  great  price.  The  well  of  living  water 
must  spring  up  within  us.  We  are  his  beloved,  and  noth- 
ing short  of  his  opulence  will  satisfy  us.  Let  us  no  longer 
stay  in  that  strange  country  and  tend  the  swine,  but  come 
home  to  the  Father's  house.  We  will  be  thrice  welcome. 
Our  life  will  again  spring  up  with  new  vigor,  and  the 
blush  of  youth  return  to  our  cheeks,  when  we  know  that 
the  eternal  fount  of  life  forever  bubbles  up  within  our 
own  souls. 

It  is  your  mission  to  express  all  that  you  can  imagine 
God  to  be.  Let  this  be  your  standard  of  achievement, 
and  never  lower  it,  nor  allow  yourself  to  be  belittled  by 


Obedience  227 

the  cry  of  sacrilege.  You  may  attain  to  everything  you 
can  imagine.  If  you  imagine  it  possible  to  God,  it  is 
also  possible  to  you.  Whatever  possibility  your  mind 
conceives,  that  is  for  you  to  attain.  This  is  the  law — 
let  none  belittle  himself  nor  dwarf  the  Supreme  by  try- 
ing to  annul  it.  "All  thine  are  mine,  and  mine  are 
thine." 

God  is,  and  we  are.  Let  us  live  in  his  world — 
not  a  world  to  be  tomorrow,  next  month,  next  year,  or 
next  century,  but  here  and  now.  God's  beautiful  uni- 
verse is  all  about  us,  only  waiting  our  acknowledgment 
of  its  presence.  Let  us  know  God  and  live — live  with 
love  and  joy,  health  and  peace  here  evermore. 

"Thou  art,  O  God,  the  life  and  light 

Of  all  this  wondrous  world  we  see; 
Its  glow  by  day,  its  smile  by  night. 

Are  but  reflections  caught  from  Thee. 
Where'er  we   turn   Thy   glories   shine, 
And  all  things  fair  and  bright  are  Thine. 

"When  day,  with  farewell  beam,  delays 
Among  the  opening  clouds  of  even, 
And  we  can  almost  think  we  gaze 

Through  golden  vistas  into  heaven — 
Those  hues  that  make  the  sun's  decline 
So  soft,  so  radiant,  Lord!  are  Thine, 

"When  night  with  wings  of  starry  gloom 
O'ershadows   all   the   earth   and   skies. 
Like  some  dark,  beauteous  bird,  whose  plume 

Is  sparkling  with  unnumbered  eyes. 
That  sacred  gloom,  those  fires  divine. 
So  grand,  so  countless,  Lord!  are  Thine. 


THE  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 

He  came  unto  his  own,  and  his  own  received  him  not. — 
John  1: 11. 

I  HE  pure  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ  has  never  been 
popular  with  those  who  like  formality  and 
rites  in  religion. 

The  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ  were  from  the  ranks  of 
the  common  people,  unlearned  in  the  lore  of  the  Scribes 
and  without  reputation,  religiously  or  otherwise.  They 
in  their  turn  became  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  did 
unusual  works  in  healing  and  teaching,  yet  their  con- 
verts were  not  largely  from  orthodox  circles.  It  was  the 
"common  people"  who  heard  them  and  their  Master 
gladly.  The  aristocracy  and  the  organized  church  op- 
posed them  at  every  turn.  They  were  stoned,  quartered, 
and  burned,  and  their  doctrines  never  became  the  popu- 
lar religion.  Pure  Christianity  was  literally  killed  out 
in  less  than  three  hundred  years  after  the  crucifixion. 
What  is  called  Christianity  is  a  combination  of  pagan- 
ism, Israelitism,  and  the  letter  of  Jesus'  doctrine  with- 
out the  spirit. 

This  heterogeneous  mass  became  acceptable  be- 
cause it  was  sanctioned  by  kings  and  enforced  as  the 
church  of  the  state.  As  it  had  a  little  from  all  the  re- 
ligions, it  offered  balm  to  the  forced  worshipers  from 
each  sect,  and  thus  became  quickly  popular. 

It  is  not  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ,  however,  and 


The  Church  of  Christ  229 

never  has  been  in  any  of  its  many  forms  and  sects.  Here 
and  there  a  gleam  of  truth  has  come  to  spiritually  awak- 
ened devotees,  and  they  have  broken  away  from  the  in- 
stitution and  formed  newer  and  higher  standards  of 
truth ;  but  all  have  been  far  short  of  the  original  doc- 
trine set  forth  by  Jesus  and  his  disciples. 

Jesus  Christ  never  organized  a  church  on  earth, 
nor  did  he  authorize  any  one  else  to  do  so.  He  said  to 
Peter,  "On  this  rock  I  will  build  my  church."  He  did 
not  tell  Peter  that  he  was  to  be  the  head  of  the  church, 
with  a  line  of  popes  to  follow.  He  said,  "I  will  build 
ray  church."  Jesus  Christ  is  still  the  head  of  his  church, 
and  its  only  organization  is  in  Spirit.  Whoever  attempts 
to  organize  it  on  earth  with  creeds,  tenets,  or  text  books 
of  any  kind  or  description  as  authority,  is  in  direct  op- 
position to  his  word  and  example.  He  gave  but  one 
guide,  one  source  from  which  his  followers  should  re- 
ceive their  inspiration — "the  Holy  Spirit  whom  the  Fa- 
ther will  send  in  my  name,  he  shall  teach  you  all  things, 
and  bring  all  things  to  your  remembrance,  whatsoever 
I  have  said  unto  you." 

The  puerile  claim  that  this  was  for  his  immediate 
disciples  only  is  hardly  worth  considering,  because  of 
so  many  texts  in  which  he  plainly  states  his  ministry 
and  words  are  for  the  world.  In  the  very  chapter  with 
this  he  said,  "He  that  hath  my  commandments  and  keep- 
eth  them,  he  it  is  that  loveth  me:  and  he  that  loveth  me 
shall  be  loved  of  ray  Father,  and  I  will  love  him  and 
manifest  myself  to  him." 


230  Talks  on  Truth 

It  was  this  same  Spirit  of  Truth  in  Peter  that  per- 
ceived the  Christ,  and  of  which  he  said,  "Flesh  and  blood 
hath  not  revealed  it  unto  you,  but  my;  Father  in  heaven." 
This  revealment  of  Truth  direct  from  the  Spirit  is  the 
rock  upon  which  the  one  and  only  church  of  Jesus  Christ 
is  built — all  other  authorities  are  spurious. 

That  the  one  and  only  true  church  of  Christ  is  with- 
out authority  or  head  on  earth  is  evident  from  the  ac- 
cepted words  of  Jesus  himself.  He  never  authorized 
the  history  of  his  life  as  recorded  in  the  Gospels,  so  far 
as  known;  yet,  accepting  them  as  such  history,  on  their 
face  they  bear  out  the  claim  of  a  spiritual  church,  with 
only  the  Holy  Ghost  as  mediator  between  man  and  God. 
It  is  evident  that  Jesus  saw  the  tendency  in  the  past 
among  men  to  make  idols  of  the  Scriptures,  and  it  was 
his  aim  to  do  away  with  that  sort  of  idolatry.  Instead  of 
a  command  to  "search  the  scriptures,"  Jesus  reprimanded 
the  Pharisees  in  John  5:39,  in  these  words:  "Ye  search 
the  scriptures,  because  ye  think  that  in  them  ye  have 
eternal  life;  and  these  are  they  which  bear  witness 
of  me." 

It  is  this  eternal  binding  the  thoughts  to  some  ex- 
ternal authority  in  book,  creed,  or  tradition  that  keeps 
men  in  bondage  to  the  lower  world.  When  the  mind  is 
perfectly  free  to  search  out  the  higher  truths  of  exist- 
ence, there  flow  into  the  consciousness  a  vigor  and  viril- 
ity that  set  in  motion  all  the  crystallized  thoughts, 
and  fresh  life  stirs  the  whole  man.  Instead  of  confin- 
ing the  Infinite  God  into  the  little  being  of  parts  and 


The  Church  of  Christ  231 

passions  conceived  by  some  good  but  ignorant  "church- 
father"  of  by-gone  ages,  the  open  mind  flows  forth  in 
its  own  native  freedom,  and  its  God  is  a  whole  xiniverse, 
larger  in  every  way  than  was  his  of  the  limited  concept. 
So  with  all  the  questions  of  doctrine  that  form  the  stock 
in  trade  of  hereditary  religion.  What  our  forefathers 
discussed  a  lifetime,  and  fought  bitter  battles  over,  and 
left  undecided,  the  free  minded  sees  through  in  a  mo- 
ment's consideration.  He  sees  through  it  with  unerring 
accuracy,  because  his  point  of  view  is  far  removed  from 
the  narrow  bigotry  engrafted  by  creeds  and  dogmas  into 
the  susceptible  mind  of  the  infant  churchman. 

The  mind  of  man  is  like  a  clear  stream  that  flows 
from  some  lofty  mountain.  It  has  nothing  at  its  point 
of  origin  to  corrupt  or  distort  it,  but  as  it  flows  out  into 
the  plane  of  experience,  it  meets  the  obstruction  of  doubt 
and  fear.  It  is  here  that  dams  are  built,  and  its  course 
turned  in  many  ways. 

Whoever  formulates  a  creed,  whoever  writes  a  book 
claiming  to  be  an  infallible  guide  for  mankind,  whoever 
organizes  a  church  in  which  it  is  attempted  by  rules  and 
tenets  to  save  men  from  their  evil  ways,  whoever  at- 
tempts to  offer  in  any  way  a  substitute  for  the  one  Omni- 
present Spirit  of  God  dwelling  in  each  of  us,  is  an  en- 
emy to  mankind. 

But  those  very  things  are  the  first  that  the  mental- 
ity, not  in  constant  touch  with  the  influx  from  the  Fa- 
ther, attempts.  Man  is  by  nature  an  organizer.  It  is 
his  function  in  the  God-head  to  formulate  the  potenti- 


232  Talks  on  Truth 

alities  of  the  Principle.  It  is  through  man's  conscious 
ego  that  the  Father  makes  himself  manifest  to  him  as 
Infinite  Externality.  The  within  and  without  are  one 
only  when  man  recognizes  that  he  draws  all  his  life,  sub- 
stance, and  intelligence  from  Infinite  Spirit  welling  up 
within  him. 

Many  have  caught  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  true 
church  of  Christ  is  a  state  of  consciousness  in  man,  but 
few  have  gone  so  far  in  the  realization  as  to  know  that 
a  temple  is  also  constructed  in  the  very  body  of  each 
man  and  woman,  in  which  the  Christ  holds  religious  serv- 
ices at  all  times.  "Ye  are  the  temple  of  the  living  God" 
was  not  a  symbolical  appellation,  but  a  statement  of  ar- 
chitectural truth.  Through  a  conversion  of  the  organic 
substance  of  the  body  the  thinking  faculty  in  man  con- 
structs, under  the  direction  of  the  Christ,  a  new  body. 
It  breathes  an  atmosphere  and  is  thrilled  with  a  life  en- 
ergy more  real  than  that  of  the  external  form.  When 
one  who  has  come  into  the  church  of  Christ  in  this  ul- 
timate feels  the  stirring  within  him  of  this  body  of  the 
Spirit,  he  knows  what  Paul  meant  when  he  said,  "There 
is  a  natural  body,  and  there  is  a  spiritual  body." 

Most  of  the  opposition  to  the  church  of  Christ  comes 
from  those  who  have  never  felt  the  stirring  within  them 
of  this  spiritual  body,  and  they  refuse  to  believe  the  ex- 
periences of  those  who  have.  They  live  in  the  intel- 
lectual-spiritual, and  when  the  Holy  Spirit  proceeds  to 
organize  within  them  an  abiding  place,  they  refuse  it 


The  Church  of  Christ  233 

recognition^  and  call  it  "mortal  mind,"  "the  devil,"  or 
"an  unclean  spirit." 

It  is  this  blasphemy;  against  the  Holy  Ghost  that 
Jesus  said  could  not  be  forgiven.  Everything  that  a 
man  does  or  has  done  the  Father  freely  forgives  except 
the  cursing  of  his  Holy  Spirit  by  calling  it  an  unclean 
spirit.  He  who  understands  the  law  of  mental  action 
can  easily  see  why  this  cannot  be  forgiven.  Mind  or- 
ganizes its  states  of  consciousness  according  to  methods 
inherent  in  Being.  First  is  the  idea,  which  is  the  center 
in  which  the  form  is  generated.  This  form  is  projected 
from  that  center  to  a  circumference,  and  in  its  line  of 
structure  in  the  consciousness  of  man  it  proceeds  to  oc- 
cupy the  place  of  pre-existing  forms.  The  idea  of  per- 
fection held  in  the  mind  will  build  a  body  having  for  its 
attributes  all  the  harmony  possible  to  the  organism  in 
which  it  is  born.  "God  giveth  it  a  body  as  it  hath 
pleased  him,  and  to  every  seed  his  own  body."  That 
"seed"  is  the  idea  held  in  your  mind,  and  which  the 
Holy  Spirit  comes  to  you  to  nourish  and  through  its 
ministrations  grow  in  you  a  new  body. 

If  you  refuse  to  receive  the  sensible  ministrations 
of  this  Holy  Spirit,  you  of  course  cut  off  the  builder  of 
the  eternal  temple  in  which  God  makes  his  permanent 
dwelling  place  in  you. 

When  you  refuse  to  receive  this  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  your  flesh  is  not  quickened,  and  must  even- 
tually go  back  to  dust;  and  you  are  again  sent  to  school 
to  learn  the  lesson  in  another  earthly  experience. 


234  Talks  on  Truth 

This  is  the  law.  Let  him  who  hath  ears  hear  it, 
and  not  oppose  the  structure  of  that  temple  of  the  liv- 
ing God  when  the  Father  in  his  own  way  proceeds  to 
build  it  in  obedience  to  the  thought  held  in  man's  mind 
of  an  enduring,  a  deathless  habitation.  Let  us,  each 
one  of  us,  see  to  it  that  this  opposition  to  Christ  and  his 
methods  is  not  found  within  us. 

If  our  teaching  has  been  such  as  to  disparage  the 
entertainment  of  the  new  sensations  in  the  body  when 
in  prayer  or  the  silence,  let  us  cast  those  ideas  out  of 
our  minds  and  throw  ourselves  wholly  on  the  care  of  the 
Spirit.  The  mind  of  the  flesh  vigorously  opposes  this 
newcomer  in  its  domain,  and  if  you  side  with  it  and  cast 
out  the  Spirit  as  unclean,  you  will  find  yourself  eventu- 
ally without  a  body — you  have  sinned  against  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  are  homeless  in  consequence. 

Pronounce  every  experience  good,  and  of  God,  and 
by  that  mental  attitude  you  will  call  forth  only  the  good. 
What  was  error  will  disappear,  and  only  the  good  re- 
main. This  is  the  law,  and  no  one  can  break  it.  The 
adversary  always  flees  before  the  mind  that  is  fixed  on 
the  pure,  the  just,  and  the  upright.  There  is  no  error 
in  all  the  universe  that  can  stand  for  one  moment  in  the 
presence  of  the  innocent  mind.  Innocence  is  its  own 
defense,  and  he  who  invokes  the  Father  with  pure  mo- 
tive and  upright  heart  need  not  fear  any  experience. 
God  has  not  forgotten  his  world  nor  the  children  of 
light.  It  is  his  will  to  build  in  you  his  eternal  habita- 
tion, and  he  will  do  it  in  a  manner  so  attractive  that  you 


The  Church  of  Christ  285 

will  be  delighted  with  the  process  after  the  first  few 
moves  have  been  made.  It  is  not  always  pleasant  to 
tear  down  old  brick  and  mortar,  but  when  the  new  struc- 
ture commences  to  go  up  there  is  rejoicing. 

So  you  will  find  in  your  experience  with  the  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  reconstructing  your  organism  that  the 
present  structure  must  be  literally  torn  down  atom  by 
atom.  It  is  in  its  present  state  temporary  and  without 
the  conscious  life  of  the  indwelling  Spirit.  You,  with 
the  race,  have  separated  yourself  from  God  in  conscious- 
ness; that  separation  extends  to  the  body,  which  is  the 
most  remote  plane  of  your  consciousness. 

In  returning,  the  Father,  the  innermost  of  you,  the 
Spirit  which  is  and  ever  has  been  pure,  first  recognizes 
its  true  estate.  This  recognition  is  on  the  plane  of 
causes,  the  ideal,  and  may  remain  there  for  a  long  time. 
But  the  law  of  seed-time  and  harvest  prevails  here  as  in 
the  natural  world,  and  the  idea  is  the  "seed"  that  will 
spring  forth  from  its  subjective  realm,  and,  when  wa- 
tered by  the  Holy  Spirit  through  your  receptive  thought, 
grow  a  new  organism,  which  will  be  a  permanent  bat- 
tery, from  which  you  will  radiate  the  transcendent  pow- 
ers of  the  Spirit  forever  and  forever. 

When  this  is  done,  creation  is  a  perfect,  homo- 
geneous symphony  of  life,  light,  and  love.  Discord  is 
eliminated;  sin,  sorrow,  and  everything  that  in  any  way 
interferes  with  the  highest  ideal  of  existence  are  dis- 
solved, and  man  realizes  that  his  dominion  is  to  be  the 
obedient  outlet  of  an  inexhaustible  inlet.     Herein  is  God 


236  Talks  on  Truth 

glorified,  that  his  inexhaustible  resources  are  not  lim- 
ited by  man,  but  allowed  full  and  free  flow  into  a  uni- 
verse without  height  or  depth,  beginning  or  ending. 

He  who  becomes  a  member  of  the  true  church  of 
Christ,  and  recognizes  the  Holy  Spirit  as  his  only  au- 
thority, is  immediately  branded  by  the  worshipers  of 
scriptures  and  creeds  as  "heterodox."  The  Scribes  and 
Pharisees  exist  in  every  age  and  among  all  peoples. 
They  ever  cry  out  against  the  true  Christian,  "He  hath 
Beelzebub;  it  is  the  work  of  the  devil;  beware  of  him." 
The  orthodox  Christian  applies  this  to  the  Christian 
Scientist,  and  the  Christian  Scientist,  in  his  turn,  applies 
it  to  those  who  refuse  to  bow  their  neck's  to  the  creed 
which  he  has  formulated. 

The  true  church  of  Christ  is  never 'organized  upon 
the  earth,  because  the  minute  that  man  organizes  his 
religion  he  ceases  to  be  guided  wholly  by  the  free  Spirit 
of  Truth,  and  to  that  extent  he  falls  away  from  the  true 
church. 

Many  of  the  Protestant  sects  were  in  their  incipiency 
very  close  to  the  original  church,  Wesley  was  led  by  the 
Spirit,  and  his  ministry  was  characterized  by  a  spiritual 
glow  and  power  that  were  felt  all  over  the  religious 
world.  He  was  free,  and  had  the  freedom  of  Jesus 
Christ  back  of  him,  yet  he  and  his  followers  were  de- 
spised by  the  organized  church,  and  it  was  a  stinging 
epithet  to  be  called  a  "Methodist."  A  compromise  in 
creeds,  rituals,  and  formulae  for  the  guidance  of  members. 


The  Church  of  Christ  287 

instead  of  the  Spirit,  led  to  their  final  external  popular- 
ity— and  spiritual  death. 

The  church  of  Jesus  Christ  still  waits  for  a  min- 
istry that  will  represent  it  as  it  is — an  organization  in 
heaven  without  a  head  in  earth,  without  a  creed,  without  a 
line  of  written  authority.  This  church  exists,  and  must 
be  set  up  in  its  rightful  place — the  minds  and  hearts  of 
men.  It  can  never  be  confined  in  any  external  organ- 
ization, and  whoever  attempts  such  movement,  by  that 
act  ceases  to  represent  the  true  church  of  Christ. 

There  is  need  of  such  a  church,  and  it  is  imperative 
that  it  be  set  up.  Whoever  advocates  such  a  setting  up 
may  for  a  season  expect  the  opposition  of  the  organized 
institutions  on  every  hand,  but  the  final  outcome  must 
be  victorious. 

There  can  be  but  one  leader  for  man  in  his  search 
for  God — the  Spirit  within  him.  When  he  unreservedly 
gives  himself  up  to  this  Spirit  he  finds  that  the  old  world 
of  forms  and  their  limitations  are  no  longer  of  interest. 
A  new  world  is  opened  to  his  vision.  What  was  the  goal 
of  his  human  life  becomes  a  mere  toy  to  his  expanded 
concepts  of  God  and  the  destiny  of  man. 

He  finds  that  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ  is  not  a 
church  at  all  under  the  new  definition.  He  has  looked 
upon  his  religion  as  having  to  do  with  the  salvation 
of  his  soul — a  sort  of  school  in  which  he  is  coached  in 
catechism  and  creed  that  he  may  be  prepared  to  go  to 
a  place  called  "heaven"  after  death. 

When  the  true  church  is  revealed  to  his  soul,  all 


238  Talks  on  Truth 

this  illusion  of  the  animal  man  is  dissolved.  He  finds 
that  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ  has  to  do  with  the  world 
right  here  and  now;  that  it  is  not  a  religion  as  he  has 
been  accustomed  to  regard  religion;  that  it  is  an  organic 
principle  in  nature  working  along  definite  lines  of 
growth  in  the  building  up  of  a  state  of  consciousness  for 
the  whole  human  race. 

Thus  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ  is  an  exact  science. 
It  has  its  part  in  the  economy  of  Being  as  the  organizer 
of  the  unorganized.  It  does  not  refer  to  things  abstract, 
but  to  things  concrete.  Whoever  looks  upon  it  as  an 
abstraction  has  wholly  misconceived  it. 

God  never  performs  miracles,  if  by  this  is  meant 
a  departure  from  universal  law.  Whatever  the  prophets 
did,  was  through  the  operation  of  laws  inherent  in  Being 
and  open  to  the  discovery  of  every  man. 

Whatever  Jesus  of  Nazareth  did,  it  is  likewise  the 
privilege  of  every  man  to  do.  It  is  simply  a  question  of 
discernment.  This  discernment  comes  through  an  orderly 
organic  structure  in  the  soul  of  every  man.  It  is  first 
a  state  of  consciousness,  a  perception  of  what  is  in  the 
potential;  this  then  formulates  itself  into  a  working 
structure  that  becomes  in  every  man  the  permanent 
church  of  Christ. 

The  church  of  Christ  covers  every  department  of 
man's  existence  and  enters  into  every  fiber  of  his  being. 
He  carries  it  with  him  day  and  night,  seven  days  of  the 
week.     He  lives  in  it  as  a  fish  lives  in  water,  and  he  be- 


The  Church  of  Christ  239 

comes  a  new  creature.  Life  becomes  an  ecstasy,  and  his 
cup  is  full  to  overflowing. 

The  burdens  of  the  human  drop  out  of  sight  just  as 
fast  as  the  organic  church  is  constructed.  The  construc- 
tion of  this  church  is  orderly,  definite  and  exact.  It  is 
not  done  in  a  moment,  but  brick  by  brick  the  man  is 
built  from  the  within  to  the  without,  a  new  creature 
in  consciousness  and  body. 

This  means  that  your  body  will  be  so  transformed 
within  and  even  without  that  it  will  never  go  through 
the  change  called  death.  It  will  be  a  resurrected  body, 
becoming  more  and  more  refined  as  you  catch  sight  of 
the  free  truths  of  Being,  until  it  will  literally  disappear 
from  the  sight  of  those  who  see  with  the  eye  of  sense. 

This  is  the  way  in  which  the  last  enemy,  "death," 
is  to  be  overcome.  The  corruptible  shall  put  on  incor- 
ruption  right  here  and  now.  Be  careful  not  to  defer 
this  change  to  some  future  state,  some  "day  of  judg- 
ment" some  sound  of  a  "last  trump,"  but  recognize  it 
in  the  light  of  an  organic  change  going  on  in  and  through 
your  very  body  from  day  to  day  until  you  literally  shine 
with  the  glory  of  the  noonday  sun. 

This  is  the  promised  New  Jerusalem,  a  city  in  which 
neither  the  sun  nor  the  moon  is  necessary.  This  is  the 
city  of  God  within  you,  and  your  very  body  shall  become 
so  illuminated  by  the  brilliancy  of  your  mind  that  the 
light  streaming  forth  will  be  brighter  than  that  of  the  sun. 
This  is  not  a  fancy  sketch,  but  a  statement  of  facts  based 
upon  spiritual  dynamics,  of  which  the  body  is  part. 


240  Talks  on  Truth 

Metaphysicians  in  this  age  have  caught  sight  of 
these  possibilities  of  man  when  he  consciously  recog- 
nizes his  relation  to  God,  and  proceeds  to  carry  out  in 
thought  and  act  right  here  that  which  he  perceives  to  be 
true  in  Spirit;  but  many  of  them  are  not  wise  in  their 
methods  of  attaining  the  ultimate  organic  building. 
They  have  made  connection  with  the  realm  of  ideas,  but 
are  loth  to  comply  with  the  requirements  of  organic 
growth  from  the  generative  idea  to  its  concrete  structure. 
This  growth  is  the  construction  of  the  church  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  each  one  of  us,  and  it  is  a  most  delicate  and  in- 
tricate process.  No  external  architect  is  here  allowed; 
the  Spirit  only  can  tell  what  is  necessary  from  day  to 
day,  and  the  Spirit  can  be  heard  only  by  the  attentive  ego. 

If  you  have  any  ideas  of  your  own  as  to  how  this 
new  body  is  to  be  constructed,  drop  them  immediately. 
If  you  have  been  before  the  public  as  a  teacher  of  Divine 
Science,  and  have  set  up  in  consciousness  abstract  theories 
as  to  the  unreality  of  the  body  and  its  sensations,  you 
must  be  willing  to  give  them  all  up  before  you  can  be 
received  into  the  regeneration.  Although  you  may  have 
served  the  Truth  long  and  faithfully,  do  not  be  rebellious 
if  all  your  labors  seem  as  "dust  and  ashes."  The  rebel- 
lious Israelites  never  got  into  the  Promised  Land.  You 
must  be  meek  and  lowly.  You  must  be  obedient.  You 
must  be  willing  to  give  up  all  your  plans,  your  hopes, 
and  your  ambitions.  The  Spirit  wants  your  attention 
only.  If  you  have  done  good,  you  will  be  rewarded  in 
the  process,  but  you  must  not  claim  your  good  as  a  merit 


The  Church  of  Christ  241 

card  which  gives  you  any  preference  in  the  regeneration. 
You  must  be  willing  to  become  as  nothing  in  the  sight  of 
men — literally  crucified  for  your  good  works.  Then  the 
personal  mentality  loses  its  center,  the  atoms  of  your 
being  swiftly  change  their  polarization  from  the  material 
to  the  spiritual  plane,  and  you  come  forth  from  the  tomb 
of  sense  with  a  body  of  light. 


THE   LORD'S   BODY 

I  HE  teaching  of  Christianity  is  that  the  human 
race  was  originally  in  a  beautiful  garden,  a 
state  of  consciousness  described  as  paradise. 
Here  were  placed  before  them  two  ways  of  attaining 
knowledge — one  through  experience,  the  other  through 
the  inspiration  and  guidance  of  God;  and  they  chose  the 
diverse,  or  hard  way.  They  followed  Satan,  thinking 
that  through  experience  they  would  get  wisdom  and 
pleasure,  and  in  their  ignorance  they  fell  short  of  the 
law.  They  did  not  know  how  to  take  advantage  of  the 
forces  of  mind,  and  the  result  was  death  of  their  bodies. 
But  there  was  promise  of  restoration;  that  men 
should  come  back  into  that  paradise  or  place  where  eter- 
nal joy  and  satisfaction  exist;  that  through  Jesus  Christ, 
the  original  life  of  man  should  be  restored.  Jesus  Christ 
understood  the  Law  of  God  and  came  to  show  us  the 
way  to  live  our  lives,  to  resurrect  ourselves  out  of  sin 
and  death  into  immortality.  He  resurrected  his  body, 
and  promised  that  those  who  keep  his  sayings  and  follow 
his  law  should  do  likewise;  and  yet  nearly  two  thousand 
years  have  passed  and  no  man  has  demonstrated  the 
resurrection  so  far  as  we  know.  The  teaching  has  been 
side-tracked  and  misunderstood.  The  popular  Christian- 
ity of  the  day  tells  us  that  this  resurrection  is  of  the  soul ; 
that  it  is  to  take  place  after  death,  or  in  some  future 
time,  and  that  everybody  must  die. 


The  Lord's  Body  243 

Now  a  new  consciousness,  a  new  understanding  of 
this  great  teaching  of  Jesus  Christ  is  needed.  We  are 
beginning  to  understand  it  scientifically.  Our  physical 
scientists  are  showing  us  in  their  laboratories  that  life 
should  be  continuous.  They  tell  us  that  the  functions  of 
our  bodies  are  self-perpetuating  if  rightly  directed. 
There  is  no  reason  why  they  should  be  destroyed.  All 
about  us  are  the  forces  that  enter  into  these  bodies,  and 
the  elements  that  are  found  in  chemistry  are  also  in  the 
body  of  flesh. 

Why  then  have  we  failed  for  these  two  thousand 
years?  Because  we  have  not  understood  and  applied 
the  Divine  Law.  The  early  disciples  evidently  caught 
sight  of  the  great  truth  that  man  has  within  himself  this 
resurrecting  power  to  overcome  disease  and  sickness,  but 
it  gradually  fell  away  and  man  has  gotten  back  into  the 
old  adverse  thought. 

We  must  first  reduce  our  religion  to  facts.  What 
do  we  know  about  it.^  It  is  "by  their  fruits  ye  shall 
know  them."  The  fruit  of  your  thought  is  your  body, 
and  you  can  judge  your  thought  by  the  character  of  your 
body.  So  also  you  can  change  your  body  by  changing 
your  thoughts.  Then  here  is  the  key  to  the  situation. 
To  resurrect  this  body  we  must  change  our  thoughts. 
Every  thought  must  be  in  accord  with  absolute  truth, 
and  there  must  be  no  adverse  thought.  We  must  sepa- 
rate ourselves  from  all  thought  of  sickness,  weakness, 
and  death.  They  must  have  no  part  in  the  consciousness 
of  the  one  who  would  follow  Jesus  Christ. 


244  Talks  on  Truth 

Divine  metaphysicians  take  special  care  that  they 
are  logical  in  their  reasoning.  They  hold  that  all  truth 
has  its  origin  in  Divine  Mind.  Whatever  we  can  con- 
ceive as  being  true  must  work  itself  out  in  creation,  and 
if  the  creation  seems  to  fall  short  of  the  Divine  Perfec- 
tion in  any  way,  it  is  a  fault  on  our  part;  either  we  are 
not  seeing  the  whole,  or  we  are  lacking  in  understanding. 
And  if  we  hold  to  our  logic  that  the  Good  can  create 
nothing  but  good,  it  will  bring  us  to  the  right  conclusion, 
and  the  manifestation  will  always  prove  itself.  Holding 
to  this  logic  of  the  mind,  and  the  conclusions  of  the  mind, 
we  find  that  there  are  two  creations — Divine  Mind  ideal- 
izes that  which  it  afterward  brings  forth,  just  as  a  man 
works  out  in  his  mind  his  invention  before  he  makes  the 
model.  God  is  the  all-potential  Mind.  God  creates  first 
in  thought,  and  his  idea  of  creation  is  perfect,  and  that 
idea  exists  as  a  perfect  model  upon  which  all  manifesta- 
tion rests.  The  body  of  man  must  rest  upon  a  Divine 
Body  Idea  in  Divine  Mind,  and  it  logically  follows  that 
the  inner  life,  substance,  and  intelligence  of  all  flesh  are 
perfect.  But  you  say,  "I  have  not  a  perfect  body,  my 
body  is  not  the  perfect  idea,  because  I  can  see  it  is  ma- 
terial." It  may  be  that  you  do  not  understand;  that  you 
do  not  discern  the  "Lord's  Body,"  which  lack,  Paul  said, 
was  the  cause  of  weakness  and  sickness  and  death. 

We  have  a  perfect  body  in  mind,  and  that  perfect 
mind-body  is  expressing  itself  through  our  I  am,  or  the 
Lord  God  in  us ;  and  it  is  bringing  itself  into  manifesta- 
tion just  as  fast  as  we  will  let  it;  just  as  fast  as  we  per- 


The  Lord's  Body  245 

ceive  God  in  the  flesh.  Do  you  not  see  how  closely  you 
must  follow  and  hold  yourself  in  the  true  logic?  Plato 
saidj  "Pure  reason  is  the  highest  faculty  of  the  mind." 
So  many  people  wander  away  from  pure  reason  because 
it  does  not  seem  to  agree  with  the  sight  of  sense.  They 
say  there  is  evil  and  error  everywhere.  It  cannot  be, 
then,  that  God  is  in  the  xmiverse.  But  are  they  in  the 
understanding  of  the  creative  law  that  man  is  responsible 
for  the  bringing  forth  of  the  Divine  perfection.?  God 
finished  his  work  in  the  ideal  and  we  are  making  it  man- 
ifest. If  your  body  is  not  perfect,  it  is  because  you  have 
not  let  into  your  consciousness  all  of  these  perfections 
which  exist  for  you  in  Divine  Mind,  and  which  would  be 
fully  expressed  through  you  as  they  were  in  Jesus  Christ 
if  you  would  discern  the  truth  of  the  real  ideal  body, 
called  the  Lord's  Body. 

Then  if  I  want  to  see  the  real  expression  of  Divine 
Mind  in  my  body,  all  I  have  to  do  is  to  mentally  image 
it.  I  must  put  my  I  am  identity  into  it  and  affirm  that 
the  perfect  body  as  idealized  by  God  is  now  manifest 
in  my  hands,  in  my  feet,  in  my  heart,  and  in  every  part 
of  my  organism.  Is  that  good  logic?  and  will  it  work? 
Of  course  it  will.  This  is  the  real  secret  of  metaphys- 
ical healing.  In  the  beginning  the  Word  was  God,  but 
the  Word  became  flesh  and  dwelt  among  men  and  they 
saw  his  body,  his  glory,  and  his  perfection.  Then  Jesus 
Christ  was  the  Word  or  Idea  of  Divine  Mind  made  man- 
ifest in  form.  Jesus  saved  his  body  from  dissolution 
and  raised  it  up  to  the  heavenly  estate,  which  is  sub- 


246  Talks  on  Truth 

stance  so  pure  that  no  disintegrating  force  can  be  found 
in  it.  This  gives  an  importance  to  the  body  beyond  the 
usual  estimate.  People  think  that  soul  salvation  is  the 
object  of  the  Christian  life,  but  Jesus  and  Paul  laid 
great  stress  on  the  ability  of  man  to  "lay  it  down  and 
take  it  up,"  even  this  "Temple  of  the  living  God." 

Can  we  save  our  bodies  from  death.?  Yes.  By 
seeing  them  as  the  very  temples  of  God ;  and  that  means 
more  than  looking  at  them  as  if  you  were  looking  through 
a  telescope.  You  must  see  the  body  with  your  mind. 
See  it  with  something  more  than  the  intellectual  mind. 
See  it  with  Jehovah,  the  Lord  God  within  you. 

When  the  Perfect  Man  is  conceived  in  pure  reason, 
the  reason  of  Spirit,  and  man  sees  himself  as  he  is  in 
God's  mind,  the  Lord's  Body  begins  at  once  to  appear. 
We  can  all  see  our  bodies  with  the  "single  eye"  that 
Jesus  spoke  of,  and  through  this  faith  in  the  reality  of 
the  invisible  body  regenerate  the  flesh.  The  body  is 
wonderfully  obedient  to  the  I  am  mind.  It  hastens  to 
do  its  bidding,  and  is  renewed  and  transformed  by  a 
thought.  But  so  many  of  us  see  the  body  as  it  appears 
to  mortal  sense,  and  thus  seeing  it  there  seems  to  be 
that  kind  of  a  body.  The  real  continues,  but  the  seeming 
passes  away.  We  know  that  we  are  healed  by  right 
thought,  that  we  can  and  do  raise  these  sick  bodies  and 
restore  them  to  health.  Where  is  the  limit  to  that  heal- 
ing? There  is  none.  Why  can  you  not  go  right  on  and 
perfect  the  Body  Idea  as  conceived  in  Divine  Mind? 
That  is  where  pure  reason  and  logic  sustain  us.     It  does 


The  Lord's  Body  247 

not  make  any  difference  how  many  people  die,  or  are 
going  to  die,  the  logic  is  good  if  it  proves  the  healing  of 
a  single  ill.  It  is  a  real  pleasure  to  know  that  there  is 
somebody  behind  this  universe;  that  there  is  a  real  God; 
that  life  is  something  more  than  the  mere  piling  up  of 
material  tilings ;  that  we  can  become  the  real  man,  and  all 
the  pure  ideals  can  be  fulfilled  here  and  now. 

The  real  body  of  God  is  a  live  body.  It  knows. 
It  is  a  living  body.  Above  all  it  is  a  beautiful  body. 
And  God  himself  is  to  be  in  that  temple,  and  it  will 
not  be  necessary  to  have  any  external  light,  but  his  light, 
the  light  of  life  and  health.  It  is  wonderful  how  quickly 
the  body  responds  to  thoughts  of  life  and  health,  and  how 
you  can  get  a  flow  of  health  instantly,  if  you  hold  the 
right  thoughts.  Just  closing  the  outer  sense  and  holding 
the  thought  that  you  are  the  perfect  manifestation  of 
Divine  Mind  will  often  heal  the  body  of  its  ills.  We 
see  the  disease  and  cling  to  it,  when  it  is  trying  to  get 
away  all  the  time.  Disease  is  not  natural,  and  it  knows 
it.  Then  relax  a  little  and  let  the  Spirit  carry  on  its  y^ 
perfect  work  in  you,  and  all  at  once  evil  or  sick  condi- 
tions will  disappear  and  you  will  be  whole.  All  good 
healers  will  tell  you  that  their  best  work  is  done  by 
simply  letting  go  and  realizing  that  there  is  but  One 
Universal  Mind,  and  that  that  Mind  makes  a  perfect 
body  for  every  man. 

We  see  this  law  proved  again  and  again  in  the  heal- 
ing power  of  nature.  All  doctors  admit  that  the  body 
is  naturally  restored  to  health;  that  neither  they  nor 


248  Talks  on  Truth 

drugs  do  the  healing.  What  causes  it  to  be  restored? 
The  Divine  Idea  of  perfection.  So  our  bodies  really  are 
the  temples  of  the  living  God.  These  so-called  material 
bodies  have  within  them  and  about  them  the  Divine  per- 
fection. Do  not  make  any  separation.  Hold  that  your 
body  is  spiritual,  and  do  not  hold  anything  less.  It  does 
not  make  any  difference  how  much  your  flesh  cries  out. 
It  may  be  that  flesh  and  blood  and  bones  can  be  ex- 
pressed in  a  larger  and  better  way;  that  is  for  you  to 
determine — but  insist  upon  the  truth.  Carry  out  that 
living,  true  Word  which  every  one  of  us  knows  to  be  the 
offspring  of  Divine  Mind.  "And  the  Word  became  flesh 
and  dwelt  among  us." 


NEW  THOUGHT 

EW  THOUGHT  is  the  common  designation  of  a 
complex,  and  often  contradictory,  mass  of  met- 
aphysical doctrines  which  have  sprung  up  in 
the  past  few  years.  No  new  truth  has  been  presented  by 
any  of  them;  simply  new  ways  of  thinking  about  old 
truths.  People  who  have  been  religiously  educated  from 
the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  where  all  the  points  of 
doctrine  are  clearly  set  forth,  and  nothing  left  to  the 
imagination,  are  panic-stricken  when  they  meet  this  New 
Thought  medley,  and  unless  well  grounded  in  Principle, 
they  get  right  back  into  the  church  or  gravitate  to  some 
of  the  New  Thought  imitations  of  the  orthodox  churches. 
It  is  only  the  brave,  fearless  souls  that  boldly  sally  forth 
to  meet  and  wrest  the  truth  from  this  army  of  free  think- 
ers. Truth  includes  all,  and  the  broader  the  field  the 
greater  the  crop  of  Truth.  What  seems  contradiction 
is  but  the  reports  of  those  who  see,  like  people  climbing 
a  mountain,  from  various  levels,  or  points  of  view. 

New  Thought  people  are  striving  to  know  the  Truth 
as  it  is  revealed  direct  from  the  fountain-head.  The  time 
is  at  hand  when  the  promise  shall  be  fulfilled — 

"And  they  shall  not  teach  every  man  his  fellow-citizen, 
And  every  man  his  brother,  saying,  Know  the  Lord: 
For  all  shall  know  me, 
From  the  least  to  the  greatest  of  them." 


250  Talks  on  Truth 

In  medieval  times  the  chiefs  and  barons  assumed 
that  they  were  divinely  appointed  to  govern  their  fellow 
men,  and  their  word  of  authority  was  accepted  by  the 
less  aggressive,  who  became  their  serfs.  Similar  con- 
ditions have  existed  in  even  a  larger  way  in  religion. 
Immersed  in  secular  matters,  the  great  majority  of  men 
have  given  no  thought  of  an  independent  character  to 
religion.  What  the  priesthood  has  said  about  the  few 
scraps  of  spiritual  experiences  left  by  the  prophets,  has 
been  accepted  as  the  whole  of  God's  plan  for  man's  re- 
ligious salvation.  But  now  a  universal  demand  has 
sprung  up  for  a  better  understanding  of  things  spiritual, 
and  the  great  running  to  and  fro  in  the  religious  world 
today  is  the  first  awakening  of  this  new  desire  of  the 
soul  to  know  for  itself  whether  or  not  the  doctrines 
preached  as  authority  are  true.  To  arrive  at  this  knowl- 
edge it  is  not  safe  for  man  to  trust  his  information  to 
others:  he  must  know  for  himself. 

This,  then,  is  really  the  foundation  of  the  New 
Thought  movement:  that  its  adherents  shall  each  and 
all  be  priest  and  prophet,  and  stand  alone  with  the 
Inner  Wisdom  as  sole  guide  in  matters  religious.  But 
not  all  are  living  up  to  this  free  doctrine.  There  are 
leaders  many,  and  schools  separating  their  followers  into 
limitations  of  various  degrees.  These  are  the  natural 
divisions  of  the  inner  thought  planes  finding  expression 
without,  and  are,  in  a  measure,  necessary  in  the  present 
race  development. 

There  are  those  in  New  Thought  who  are  seeking  to 


New  Thought  251 

carry  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  their  earthly  posses- 
sions. They  are  trying  to  use  the  newly  discovered 
powers  of  the  mind  to  build  up  humanity  on  the  old 
foundations.  They  proclaim  the  universality  of  the  One 
Life  and  Intelligence,  and  that  all  things  necessarily 
resting  upon  God  must  be  good.  This  logic  is  so  plausi- 
ble that  a  very  large  number  of  New  Thoughters  are  not 
using  spiritual  discrimination,  nor  spiritual  independ- 
ence, but  are  following  the  way  pointed  out  by  some  en- 
thusiastic half-truth  discoverer.  Thus  there  are  sharp 
divisions  based  upon  different  understandings  of  the  ex- 
positions of  the  Divine  Law  in  New  Thought  circles. 

What  may  be  termed  the  "Mental  Science"  school 
holds  that  God  is  not  a  being  of  Love  and  Wisdom,  but 
a  force  of  attraction.  They  repudiate  the  Loving  Father 
proclaimed  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  hold  that  man  is  the 
highest  form  of  self-consciousness  in  the  universe.  In 
their  philosophy  the  human  race  is  now  at  its  highest 
point  of  understanding,  and  they  see  no  evidence  of 
there  ever  having  been  a  "fall,"  or  lapse  in  human  evo- 
lution, thus  repudiating  a  fundamental  teaching  of  Chris- 
tianity. If  there  has  been  no  lapse  in  human  evolution, 
there  is  no  need  of  a  mediator  or  mental  mender  of  bro- 
ken laws,  and  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  whole  Christian 
plan  of  redemption  through  him,  are  eliminated  from 
their  philosophy. 

There  is  another  class  of  New  Thought  people  who 
accept  Christianity  in  its  true  sense,  and  try  to  live  up 
to  the  teachings   of  Jesus   Christ.      They   discern   that 


252  Talks  on  Truth 

there  is  a  great  truth  hidden  in  the  Christian  religion, 
which  its  orthodox  followers  have  not  discovered.  With 
a  scientific  understanding  of  the  mind,  and  its  laws  of 
action,  they  have  a  key  to  the  occult  side  of  Christianity, 
and,  in  fact,  all  religions,  that  gives  them  an  entirely 
new  comprehension  of  life  and  its  object.  With  this  key 
they  unlock  all  the  mysteries  of  religion  and  science,  and 
place  man  where  he  belongs — master  of  all  creation. 

There  are  a  number  of  schools,  passing  imder  the 
general  name  of  New  Thought,  that  adhere  to  this  Chris- 
tian interpretation,  yet  even  among  them  there  are  minor 
differences.  Each  teacher  tinges  with  his  mental  bias 
the  philosophy  he  promulgates.  Not  one  seems  yet  to 
have  attained  that  place  where  the  revelation  from  the 
Spirit  of  Truth,  promised  by  Jesus  to  his  followers,  is 
wholly  transparent.  For  this  reason  disciples  are  never 
safe  in  accepting  the  teachings  of  any  school  as  final,  or 
as  having  the  unadulterated  truth.  "Prove  all  things; 
hold  fast  to  that  which  is  good,"  is  excellent  advice. 

This  diversity  to  which  we  refer  is  not  in  funda- 
mental principles — they  are  universally  the  same — but 
in  expressions  thereof  and  man's  relations  thereto.  For 
instance,  there  is  diversity  of  opinion  as  to  what  is  pop- 
ularly known  as  the  "fall  of  man."  There  are  those 
that  proclaim  that  man,  being  spiritual,  could  never  have 
fallen,  while  others  accept  the  Christian  doctrine  of  the 
"fall,"  and  the  redemption  through  Jesus  Christ.  In 
strict  logic,  man  being  spiritual  could  never  be  anything 


New  Thought  253 

less  than  perfect,  yet  everywhere  we  see  the  evidence 
of  his  imperfection. 

A  close  study  of  the  Scriptures  reveals  a  difference 
between  the  Son  of  God  and  the  Son  of  Man.  Compar- 
ing this  with  the  constituent  parts  of  man's  being  we 
discern  that  the  Son  of  God  is  the  spiritual  Ego,  or  I 
AM,  and  the  Son  of  Man  the  mentality  which  it  inspires 
and  creates.  It  is  the  mentality,  or  personal  conscious- 
ness, that  has  departed  from  the  observance  of  the  per- 
fect law,  and  brought  about  that  state  of  ignorance,  and 
its  consequences  in  physical  deterioration,  so  prevalent 
on  every  hand.  This  certainly  is  not  a  condition  which 
should  have  existed  under  the  wise  use  of  the  perfect 
potentialities  inherent  in  Being. 

The  logic  of  cause  and  effect  should  show  that  there 
has  been  a  very  serious  departure  somewhere  from  spir- 
itual perfection  on  the  part  of  the  human  family.  The 
Hebrew  Scriptures  teach  this  from  beginning  to  end. 
The  exclusion  of  Adam  and  Eve  from  the  Garden  of 
Eden;  the  call  of  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt; 
the  return  of  the  prodigal  son;  and  the  mission  of  Jesus 
Christ  as  proclaimed  by  himself  and  his  interpreters, 
all  point  to  there  having  been  a  departure  by  humanity 
from  the  true  life  standard. 

Those  in  the  New  Thought  who  deny  that  there  has 
been  such  a  lapse,  thereby  exclude  the  necessity  of  a 
mediator  or  lielper.  Jesus  claimed  that  he  had  made 
certain  spiritual  attainments  that  gave  him  power  of  a 
superior  character  as  a  helper  to  those  who  desired  to 


254  Talks  on  Truth 

return  to  their  spiritual  estate.  The  majority  of  those 
in  the  New  Thought  do  not  accept  this,  holding  that  ev- 
ery man  is  his  own  savior,  and  must  make  the  union  with 
the  inner  Christ  without  help  from  any  one.  But  these 
same  people  apply  to  teachers  and  healers  for  help ! 

Practical  Christianity  teaches  that  the  human  race 
has  departed  from  the  Divine  Law,  and  that  its  only  sal- 
vation from  sin,  sickness,  poverty  and  death  is  through  a 
return  to  the  Edenic  state.  Each  must  come  to  the  rec- 
ognition of  the  spiritual  law  governing  his  own  being,  yet 
it  is  possible  for  one  to  help  another;  and  the  greater 
the  spiritual  understanding  of  the  helper,  the  more  ef- 
fective his  help.  This  brings  us  to  a  consideration  of 
Jesus  Christ.  He  was  evidently  a  Master  Spirit,  and 
made  attainments  far  beyond  those  of  the  ordinary  man. 
He  claimed  to  have  opened  the  way  to  the  original  Fount 
of  Mind — the  Father — and  that  he  could  help  all  who 
believed  on  him  and  would  follow  his  way.  He  did  not 
claim  to  save  men  without  effort  on  their  part.  His  ad- 
monition was,  "Seek  and  ye  shall  find ;  knock  and  it  shall 
be  opened  unto  you." 

The  secret  of  Jesus  Christ's  mission  was  in  his 
breaking  down  certain  states  of  mind  that  had  become 
crystallized  in  human  mentality.  When  we  are  so  easily 
bound  by  our  thoughts  of  a  few  days  or  months,  how 
inextricable  must  be  those  thought  creations  that  men 
have  been  building  up  for  thousands  of  years !  The  be- 
lief in  the  necessity  of  death  is  a  proposition  that  nearly 
all  people  accept  as  true,  yet  it  is,  from  the  standpoint 


New  Thought  -  255 

of  religion  and  science,  a  deflection  from  the  perfect  law. 
Death  of  the  body  would  never  have  been  part  of  our 
experience  had  we  observed  the  law  of  our  being  and  kept 
in  touch  with  the  higher  consciousness.  Physicians  say 
that  our  body  organs  are  self-renewing,  under  normal 
conditions,  and  that  if  health  could  be  maintained  man 
would  go  right  on  living  in  his  body  forever. 

Jesus  Christ  demonstrated  this  perpetuity  of  the 
body,  and  he  refined  his  organism  until  it  passed  out  of 
the  fleshly  into  the  pure  substance  of  Spirit,  where  it 
now  exists.  This  is  the  ultimate  of  all  who  overcome 
the  limitations  of  mortal  thought  and  follow  him.  We 
shall  not  be  compelled  to  live  always  in  these  fleshly 
bodies,  but,  as  Paul  discerned,  "This  corruptible  must 
put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  must  put  on  im- 
mortality." This  change  is  to  come  gradually,  and  with- 
out death,  as  we  go  on  and  on  in  our  mental  and  phys- 
ical  purification. 

It  is  found  that  pure  thoughts  produce  pure  brain 
cells,  these  in  their  turn  make  pure  cells  throughout 
the  organism.  Thus  we  see  how  the  human  family  shall, 
through  an  observance  of  right  thought,  and  the  right 
living  that  must  follow,  attain  that  perfection  which  is 
harmony,  or  heaven,  right  here  on  earth.  This  harmony 
of  thought  on  the  part  of  all  people  will  finally  lead  to 
a  harmony  in  all  nature,  and  the  planet  itself  will  be 
transformed  by  the  thought  emanations  of  the  inhab- 
itants.    Thus  the  New  Jerusalem  seen  in  the  vision  of 


256  Talks  on  Truth 

John  will  come  down  out  of  the  heavens  and  rest  upon 
the  earth. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  New  Thought  student 
has  a  broad  field  to  select  from;  also  that  he  should 
have  his  eyes  open  within  in  order  that  he  may  know 
to  choose  the  truth  from  the  great  mass  of  matter  la- 
beled "New  Thought."  So  far  as  the  Society  of  Prac- 
tical Christianity  is  concerned,  we  must  candidly  say 
that  its  teachings  are  widely  different  from  those  of  the 
majority  of  New  Thought  doctrines.  We  accept  the 
original  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  we  know  that  the 
Christian  religion  is  the  Divine  Plan  of  help  for  all  sin- 
ners, and  no  single  individual  can  stem  the  tide  of  human 
ignorance  without  it.  Jesus  is  the  central  figure  in  a 
great  world-redemption  movement,  and  the  Christian 
Brotherhood  is  an  occult  society  of  far-reaching  power. 
This  New  Thought  is  going  into  the  orthodox  church, 
and  a  great  awakening  will  take  place  in  Christianity. 
Jesus  and  his  co-workers  are  going  to  demonstrate  the 
power  of  Truth  as  it  is  in  Christ.  The  chief  corner- 
stone of  the  new  civilization  now  being  ushered  in  is 
Christ  Jesus.  Practical  Christianity  builds  upon  this, 
and  proclaims  it  in  all  its  teachings.  The  promise  is 
that  we  shall  demonstrate  to  religion  that  it  is  founded 
upon  science;  and  to  science  that  it  is  founded  upon  re- 
ligion. 


HOW   MENTAL   HEALING   IS   DONE 

ROM  a  study  of  the  foregoing  lessons  you  should 
be  convinced  that  man  and  the  universe  are 
under  the  direct  creative  power  of  a  Supreme 
Being — name  it  what  you  will;  and  that  man  needs  but 
to  conform  to  its  laws  to  be  healthy,  happy,  and  wise.  It 
logically  occurs  to  you  that  all  healing  methods,  whether 
applied  to  self  or  others,  consist  in  making  a  unity  be- 
tween the  individual  and  the  Universal  Consciousness. 
No  man  heals  himself  or  another;  the  Supreme  Mind 
does  the  work.  "It  is  not  I,  but  the  Father  within  me, 
he  doeth  the  works,"  said  Jesus.  This  is  the  testimony 
of  all  the  truly  wise. 

Then  the  first  move  in  all  healing  is  a  recognition 
on  your  part,  and  the  part  of  your  patient,  that  God  is 
present  as  an  All-Powerful  Mind,  equal  to  the  healing 
of  every  disease,  no  matter  how  bad  it  may  appear. 
"With  God  all  things  are  possible."  The  best  way  to 
make  this  unity  with  the  Father  Mind  is  by  prayer. 
"God  is  Spirit,"  and  he  has  a  kingdom  or  ruling  center 
in  every  soul.  Do  not  look  up  or  out  for  God,  but  "pray 
to  the  Father  in  secret" — silently  within  your  own  soul 
— "and  he  will  reward  you  openly."  Many  healers  use 
the  Lord's  Prayer  at  the  beginning  of  every  treatment. 
Talk  to  the  Father  as  if  he  were  a  present  identity.  He 
is  visible  to  your  soul,  and  when  you  have  attained  that 


258  Talks  on  Truth 

certain  inner  confidence  called  faith,  you  will  realize  his 
Presence  as  clearly  as  you  do  visible  things.  When  you 
have  stilled  the  outer  senses,  and  are  quiet,  you  are  in  the 
mental  realm  where  thoughts  are  obedient  to  the  Word. 
Error  thoughts  must  be  told  to  go,  and  true  thoughts  to 
come  in  their  place. 

Thought-causes  are  so  complex  that  it  is  impossible 
to  point  out  in  all  cases  the  specific  thought  that  causes 
a  certain  disease;  but  twelve  fundamental  mind  activities 
lie  at  the  base  of  all  existence,  and  when  any  one  of  these 
is  sounded  all  the  others  give  attention. 

Nearly  all  sick  people  lack  vital  force,  hence  the 
Life  treatment  is  good  for  all.  Hate,  anger,  jealousy, 
malice,  etc.,  are  almost  universal  in  human  consciousness, 
and  a  treatment  for  Love  will  prove  a  healing  balm. 
Anxiety,  worry,  and  fear  of  poverty  burden  most  people, 
and  the  Prosperity  treatment  will  be  effective.  Do  not 
be  afraid  to  use  the  statements  in  healing,  as  a  whole  or 
in  part;  they  will  always  help  and  never  hurt  any  one. 
Remember  the  object  of  all  treatments  is  to  raise  the 
mind  to  the  Christ  Consciousness,  through  which  all  true 
healing  is  accomplished. 

SAMPLE   TREATMENTS 

FEAR,  ANXIETY,  WORRY,  DREAD,  AND  SUSPENSE 

These  thoughts  cause  the  mind  to  become  tense, 
and  shut  away  the  Great  Helper,  the  Spirit  of  Truth. 
Say  silently,  "I  am  now  free  from  fear,  anxiety,  worry, 
dread  and  suspense.     I  have  faith  in  and  trust  the  Holy 


How   Mental   Healing   Is  Done  259 

Spirit  to  protect  me,  to  provide  for  me,  and  to  bring  all 
xny  affairs  into  divine  order." 

NERVOUSNESS 

The  mind  sends  its  messages  along  the  nerves,  and 
the  nerves  being  themselves  a  form  of  mind,  get  into  a 
chronic  cross-current  condition  from  repeated  anxious, 
worried,  fearful  thoughts,  and  the  many  forms  of  "nerv- 
ousness" result.  This  idea  must  be  specifically  denied 
and  the  truth  affirmed.  Say  silently,  "I  am  not  subject 
to  any  kind  of  nervousness.  My  nerves  are  now  har- 
monized, peaceful,  and  poised  in  Spirit  and  in  Truth." 

Note — Deny  the  mental  cause  first,  then  the  phys- 
ical appearance.  "Nervousness"  is  produced  by  worry, 
anxiety,  etc.,  which  should  first  be  healed,  then  the  sec- 
ondary state  which  they  have  produced  in  the  body  must 
be  wiped  out  and  the  perfect  condition  affirmed. 

COLDS,   GRIPPE,  AND   INFLUENZAS 

Affirm:  "Spirit  is  not  subject  to  heat  or  cold.  I  am 
Spirit.  I  am  the  positive  force  of  Being  and  put  out 
of  my  consciousness  all  negative  thoughts.  I  do  not  be- 
lieve in  that  thing  called  'a  cold,'  nor  do  I  admit  for  a 
moment  that  it  has  any  power  over  me.  I  am  Spirit,  free- 
flowing  life,  and  my  circulation  is  equalized  in  God." 

INDIGESTION,    DYSPEPSIA,    AND    STOMACH    TROUBLES 

Treatment:  "My  understanding  is  established  in 
Spirit.  I  know  the  relation  between  mind  and  body,  be- 
tween thought  and  substance.  I  agree  with  what  I  eat, 
and  what  I  eat  agrees  with  me.     I  am  at  peace  with  all 


260  Talks  on  Truth 

men  and  all  things.  I  do  not  resist  nor  antagonize  any- 
body or  anything.  My  stomach  is  strong,  wise,  and  en- 
ergetic, and  I  always  think  and  speak  of  it  as  capable  in 
every  way  of  doing  the  work  given  it  to  do.  I  do  not 
impose  upon  my  stomach  by  overloading  it.  I  am  guided 
by  Divine  Wisdom  in  eating  and  drinking,  and  follow  its 
dictates  instead  of  sense  appetite.  I  am  no  longer  anx- 
ious about  what  I  shall  eat  or  what  I  shall  drink.  I  am 
not  hurried  nor  worried,  but  rest  after  each  meal  from 
all  the  cares  of  life,  and  give  my  stomach  opportunity  to 
do  its  perfect  work  under  the  Divine  Law." 

ALL   LIVER  TROUBLES 

Treatment:  "I  am  not  misjudged  nor  do  I  misjudge 
others.  I  do  not  criticise  nor  condemn.  I  do  not  hold 
bitter,  revengeful  thoughts  against  others.  I  do  not 
think  that  I  have  been  unjustly  treated.  God-Mind  is 
my  supreme  Arbiter,  and  I  rest  all  judgment  in  the  Di- 
vine Law  of  Justice. 

"The  quick,  swift  energy  of  Spirit  now  penetrates 
and  permeates  every  atom  of  my  liver,  and  it  is  free  to 
do  its  perfect  work." 

KIDNEY,  BLADDER,  AND   URINAL  DISORDERS 

"God  is  the  strength  of  my  life.  I  do  not  believe 
in  exhaustion  of  strength.  Strength  is  always  present 
in  its  supreme  completeness,  and  I  am  eternally  strong. 
Spirit  is  the  strength  of  my  loins,  and  my  back  is  free 
from  all  thought  of  burdens. 

"My  life  is  divinely  ordered  and  I  am  not  afraid 


How   Mental   Healing  is  Done  261 

of  weakness,  old  age,  or  death.  All  the  issues  of  my  life 
are  from  God,  and  he  is  a  well  of  living  water  within  me. 
"Lustful  passions  no  longer  separate  me  from  the 
pure,  spiritual  life.  My  life  is  lifted  up  by  the  Christ 
Mind  and  I  am  resurrected  from  the  dead.  My  life  is 
hid  with  Christ  in  God." 

ALL    THROAT   AFFECTIONS 

Treatment:  "All  power  is  given  unto  me,  in  heaven 
(mind)  and  in  earth  (body).  Dominion,  control,  mas- 
tery are  mine  by  Divine  Right,  and  I  refuse  to  believe 
in  failure  or  discouragement. 

"I  am  free,  and  the  inspiration  of  Spirit  is  poured 
into  my  soul.  I  am  quickened  by  the  Spirit,  and  the 
flesh  is  obedient.  I  rejoice  and  am  glad  because  the  joy 
of  Christ  is  mine.  I  am  filled  with  Spirit-energy  and 
every  cell  in  my  organism  is  alight  with  God.  I  am 
the  resurrection  and  the  life." 

SIX    DAYS'    TREATMENT 

It  is  found  that  the  mind  establishes  permanent  con- 
sciousness through  six  steps  or  degrees,  called  in  Gene- 
sis "days." 

First,  the  mind  perceives  and  affirms  Truth  to  be 
a  Universal  Principle.  Second,  faith  in  the  working 
power  of  Truth  is  born  to  consciousness.  Third,  Truth 
takes  definite  form  in  mind.  Fourth,  the  Will  carries 
Truth  into  acts.  Fifth,  discrimination  is  quickened  and 
the  difference  between  Truth  and  error  discerned.    Sixth, 


262  Talks  on  Truth 

every  thought  and  word  is  expressed  in  harmony  with 
Truth. 

The  seventh  day  is  a  peaceful  confidence  and  rest 
in  the  fulfillment  of  the  Divine  Law. 

Through  the  use  of  these  denials  and  affirmations 
for  one  week  a  new  and  more  orderly  basis  of  thought 
is  established  in  mind,  and  the  whole  man  is  harmonized 
and  vitalized.  This  process  often  heals  obstinate  cases, 
and  the  six  days'  course  is  recommended  in  conjunction 
with  the  special  treatments. 

Make  your  "denials"  as  if  you  were  gently  sweep- 
ing away  cobwebs,  and  your  "affirmations"  with  strong, 
bold,  vehement,  positive  mind. 

Each  day's  treatment,  and  the  whole  course  if  nec- 
essary, is  to  be  repeated  over  and  over  until  it  manifests 
its  living  presence  and  potency  in  consciousness. 

If  you  desire  to  help  another  who  will  not  try,  or 
cannot  himself  successfully  bring  his  mind  into  har- 
monious relations  with  this  Principle,  think  of  him,  or 
her,  when  you  hold  the  daily  thought,  and  the  Spirit  will 
cause  your  word  to  manifest  both  in  you  and  in  your 
patient.  

INVOCATION — To  precede  each  day's  treatment. 
I  acknowledge  thy  presence  and  power,  O  Blessed 
Spirit,  and  in  thy  Divine  Wisdom  now  erase  my  mortal 
limitations,  and  from  thy  pure  substance  of  Love  bring 
into  manifestation  my  world  according  to  thy  perfect 
law. 


How  Mental  Healing  Is  Done  263 

MONDAY 

[Deny] — I  am  no  longer  foolish  nor  ignorant,  and 
the  foolishness  and  ignorance  of  ancestry  can  no  longer 
be  visited  upon  me. 

I  am  free  from  the  foolishness  and  ignorance  of  the 
race  and  those  with  whom  I  associate.  The  foolishness 
and  ignorance  which  may  have  been  treasured  up  by 
my  own  understanding  are  now  erased. 

[Affirm] — I  am  wise  with  the  wisdom  of  Infinite 
Mind,  and  have  knoAvledge  of  all  things.  I  know  that  I 
am  pure  intelligence,  and  I  hereby  claim  my  Divine  right 
to  light,  life,  and  liberty  in  all  goodness,  wisdom,  love, 
and  purity.  Let  the  light  of  Wisdom  appear  and  the  ig- 
norance of  human  thought  vanish. 

TUESDAY 

[Deny] — I  deny  the  belief  that  I  have  inherited 
disease,  sickness,  ignorance,  or  any  mental  limitation 
whatsoever.  I  deny  all  belief  in  evil,  for  God  made  all 
that  really  is,  and  pronounced  it  good.  Therefore,  no 
such  deception  as  a  belief  in  evil  can  darken  my  clear 
understanding  of  Truth.  Those  with  whom  I  associate 
can  no  longer  deceive  me  with  their  words  of  consider- 
ation and  sympathy.  I  can  no  longer  deceive  myself 
with  such  weakness. 

Perish  from  my  world  these  silly  beliefs  of  dark- 
ened ignorance.  I  am  now  free  from  them  all,  and  by 
my  powerful  word  hereby  destroy  them  wholly. 

[Affirm] — God's  life  is  my  life,  and  I  vibrate  with 


264  Talks  on  Truth 

harmony  and  wholeness.  I  am  free  with  the  knowledge 
that  all  is  good;  I  am,,  therefore,  perfectly  whole  and 
well. 

WEDNESDAY 

[Deny] — I  deny  the  belief  that  I  am  a  child  of  the 
flesh  and  must  suffer  the  sins  of  my  forefathers  "even 
unto  the  third  and  fourth  generation."  Perish  all  such 
ignorant  claims. 

I  deny  that  I  inherited  from  my  ancestors  lustful 
passions  and  sensual  appetites. 

I  deny  the  belief  that  the  race  can  reflect  upon  me 
lustful  passions  and  sensual  appetites.  I  deny  the  be- 
lief that  those  with  whom  I  associate  can  reflect  upon  me 
lustful  passions  or  sensual  appetites.  I  deny  my  own 
ignorant  belief  in  such  erroneous  ideas. 

[Affirm] — God  is  Spirit,  and  I — the  Divine  Image 
— am  Spirit.  I  am  born  of  God.  God  is  too  pure  to 
behold  iniquity,  and  I  am,  therefore.  Pure  Being,  with- 
out a  tinge  of  lust  or  passion. 

THURSDAY 

[Deny] — I  deny  that  the  sins  and  omissions  of  my 
ancestors  can  reflect  upon  me  in  any  way.  Selfishness, 
envy,  malice,  jealousy,  pride,  avarice,  arrogance,  cruelty, 
hypocrisy,  obstinacy  and  revenge  are  no  part  of  my  pres- 
ent understanding,  and  I  deny  all  such  beliefs  in  the 
race,  in  those  with  whom  I  associate,  and  in  my  own 
mind. 

[Affirm] — I  am  at  peace  with  all  mankind.    I  truly 


How  Mental  Healing  Is  Done  265 

and  unselfishly  love  all  men  and  women.  I  now  ac- 
knowledge the  perfect  law  of  justice  and  equality.  I 
know  that  "God  is  no  resi^ecter  of  persons,"  and  that 
every  man  and  woman  is  my  equal  in  the  sight  of  the 
Father. 

I  do  love  my  neighbor  as  myself,  and  I  will  do  unto 
others  as  I  would  have  them  do  unto  me. 

FRIDAY 

[Deny] — I  deny  that  I  have  inherited  the  conse- 
quences of  fear  from  my  ancestors,  or  that  the  race  can 
reflect  its  fears  upon  me.  The  fears  of  those  with  whom 
I  associate  can  no  longer  hold  me  in  sickness  or  want, 
and  my  own  understanding  is  now  fully  rid  of  this 
illusion. 

There  is  not  and  cannot  hereafter  be  any  fear  in 
or  about  my  bold  world. 

[Affirm] — I  am  brave  and  bold  with  the  knowl- 
edge that  I  am  Spirit  and  all,  and  therefore  not  subject 
to  any  opposing  power. 

Plenty  and  prosperity  are  mine  by  inheritance  from 
God,  and  I  now,  by  my  steady,  persistent  word,  bring 
them  into  manifestation. 

SATURDAY 

[Deny] — I  deny  that  I  inherit  any  belief  that  in 
any  way  limits  me  in  health,  virtue,  intelligence,  or  power 
to  do  good. 

Those  with  whom  I  associate  can  no  longer  make 
me  believe  that  I  am  a  "poor  worm  of  the  dust."     The 


266  Talks  on  Truth 

race  belief  that  "nature  dominates  man"  no  longer  holds 
me  in  bondage,  and  I  am  now  free  from  every  belief  that 
might  in  any  way  interfere  with  my  perfect  expression 
of  health,  wealth,  peace,  prosperity,  and  perfect  satis- 
faction in  every  department  of  life. 

I  now,  in  the  sight  and  presence  of  Almighty  God, 
unformulate  and  destroy  by  my  all-powerful  word  every 
foolish  and  ignorant  assumption  that  may  impede  my 
march  to  perfection.  My  word  is  the  measure  of  my 
power.     I  have  spoken,  and  it  shall  be  so. 

[Affirm] — I  am  unlimited  in  my  power,  and  have 
increasing  health,  strength,  life,  love,  wisdom,  boldness, 
freedom,  charity  and  meekness,  now  and  forever. 

I  am  now  in  harmony  with  the  Father,  and  stronger 
than  any  mortal  law.  I  know  my  birthright  in  Pure 
Being,  and  boldly  assert  my  perfect  freedom.  In  this 
knowledge  I  am  enduring,  pure,  peaceful  and  happy. 

I  am  dignified  and  definite,  yet  meek  and  loAvly,  in 
all  that  I  think  and  do. 

I  am  at-one  with  and  now  fully  manifest  vigorous 
life,  wisdom,  and  spiritual  understanding. 

I  am  one  with  and  now  fully  manifest  love,  charity, 
justice,  kindness  and  generosity. 

I  am  one  with  and  now  fully  manifest  Infinite  good- 
ness and  mercy. 

Peace  floweth  like  a  river  through  my  mind,  and  I 
thank  thee,  O  God,  that  I  am  one  with  Thee. 

SUNDAY 

"Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  God." 


CONTENTS 


LESSON    ONE 

The  True  Character  of  Being 5 

Statements  for  the  Realization  of  Divine  Mind l6 

LESSON    TWO 

Being's  Perfect  Idea 17 

Statements  for  the  Realization  of  the  Son  of  God ....  27 

LESSON   THREE 

Manifestation    29 

I  AM  Realizations 38 

LESSON   FOUR 

The  Formative  Power  of  Thought 39 

Affirmations  for  Right  Tliinking 47 

LESSON    FIVE 

How  to  Control  Thought 49 

Cleansing  and  Purifying  Statements 58 

LESSON    SIX 

The  Word 60 

The  Power  of  Words 70 

LESSON   SEVEN 

Spirituality;    or  Prayer  and  Praise 72 

Living  Words  to  Quicken  Spirituality 81 

Establishing  the  Perfect  Substance 82 

LESSON   EIGHT 

Faith    84 

Faith   Affirmations 93 


LESSON    NINE 

Imagination     94 

Perfection  in  Form  Established 104 

LESSON    TEN 

Will  and  Understanding 105 

The  Establishment  of  Will  and  Understanding 115 

LESSON    ELEVEN 

Judgment  and  Justice 116 

Judgment  and  Justice  Statements 125 

LESSON    TWELVE 

Love     127 

Love   Demonstrated 137 

TALKS    ON    TRUTH 

How  Microbes  Are  Made 141 

The  I  AM  in  Its  Kingdom 155 

How  Shall  the  Dead  Be  Raised? 165 

The  Development  of  Divine  Love 178 

The  Ministry-  of  the  Word 193 

Ye  Must  Be  Born  Again 202 

Obedience    216 

The  Church  of  Christ 228 

The  Lord's  Body 242 

New  Thought 249 

How  Mental  Healing  Is  Done 257 

Sample   Treatments 258 

Six  Davs'  Treatment 261 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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